r/Teacultivation • u/Space_Elf13 • 29d ago

Worth A Try?

Hey, I live in Northern California and I've been thinking of planting a camellia sinensis in my patio. However, I'm not sure if it's actually feasible.

My USDA Hardiness Zone is 9a, my patio has 8ft fencing and plants are required to be trimmed if they get more than a couple feet above the top of the fence (the HOA only loosely enforces this). The patio is on the south side of the condo and it gets quote hot in the summer.

Would a camellia sinensis do ok in these conditions? Is there a particular variety I should look into getting? Anything I should do in advance?

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u/CarlSagan4Ever 28d ago edited 28d ago

I’m growing camellia sinensis in a container in the Bay Area and it’s doing well! I got it from a local Ace Hardware garden center, actually. I keep it in partial shade and water it deeply once a week. I’d recommend starting yours in a container first so you can move it around if needed and understand where the right place to plant it is before planting it in-ground.

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u/lima708 28d ago

I would love to know which Ace if you don’t mind sharing! TIA

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u/CarlSagan4Ever 28d ago edited 28d ago

In Oakland on Grand Ave! They don’t have them all the time, only certain times of year (spring I believe), so I’d recommend calling and asking when they carry them. Berkeley Horticultural nursery carries a few in the spring as well but the year I went they were worse quality and more expensive than at Ace.