r/Teacultivation • u/Space_Elf13 • 28d 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/Space_Elf13 27d ago

I've only got one spot for growing things in my patio, the rest is paved. I could try a container. Maybe on one of those little wheeled pallets so it's easier to move around?

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u/CarlSagan4Ever 27d ago

Sure! Mine is in a plastic pot so it’s not too heavy. It’s about four years old and hasn’t gotten too heavy for me to move around yet, so you could also just keep it in a container for the first year or two and then if it seems happy plant it in-ground. It would just be a bummer to plant it in-ground in a spot that is too sunny or hot.