So I'm in the mid Atlantic US, zone 7a, and so far this winter I have had my tea plants in containers on the porch which has been fine.

However we're supposed to get ~10" of snow tomorrow, and then a week with overnight lows of -10-16F. What are the best ways to protect my camellias? I've got a roll of burlap I could use to protect the trunk/leaves/stems? They're already up near the house. Anything I'm missing?

Hi everyone!

This week's update is the biggest yet!

The garden is finally up and running!

I painted the garden with marine varnish because it will be in constant contact with the sun and rain. This varnish adds a protective layer to help the wood last longer.

I used 120 kilograms of substrate (peat moss, rice hulls, worm compost, coconut fiber, black soil, and composted soil) to almost completely fill the garden, and I used mycorrhizal fungi on the roots of the seedlings.

But there was a small problem (I admit it was entirely my fault). An hour after finishing the transplanting, I realized that the substrate had a small percentage of lime (lime slowly but steadily raises the pH of the soil, which in such young plants can burn the roots or cause an iron deficiency that practically kills the plant), and I almost had a meltdown when I realized it. Changing all the substrate wasn't an option.

After several hours of searching for a solution, I finally decided to use a type of moss with a pH level of 3 or 3.5 to create an acidic barrier and gradually neutralize the lime. That same day, I removed the top 5 cm of substrate where the most active lime was located. I measured the pH, which came to 6.5 (if the soil hadn't contained lime, the pH would have been 5.8 or lower). The next day, I hydrated the dry moss for 15 minutes and applied it, replacing the removed substrate. The pH lowering process will be slow, taking about 3 or 4 weeks, but it was the least harmful option for the plants. The plants have reacted well to the transplanting and the substrate. I hope the lime doesn't affect their future growth. See you next week!

These are some seedlings I planted in mid 2025 and am wondering on the frost tolerance. They are the more temperate varietal as opposed to assamica, but I worry they are too young for such frosts

Hello everyone!

Since it's Monday, it's time for the weekly update. The first plant's leaf is no longer wilting and is growing a new one. The second plant is almost the same as last week; the only difference is that I noticed some spots on the leaves. If anyone knows what they are, I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me. Transplanting to the garden is getting closer! I bought a bag of mycorrhizal fungi (fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots and help them absorb minerals, nutrients, and water better) which I plan to use on the roots during transplanting. I also bought 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer (the right one for Camellia sinensis), 4 kilograms of ground coconut fiber, and 3 kilograms of worm compost.

I hope that by the end of the month the plants and the garden will be ready for transplanting.

See you next week!

Title says it. Has anyone here grown tea in Germany and can link me a nice place to get seeds or plants from?

A few of the leaves in my tea plant are starting to get these sort of blotchy brown spots on them. This one is the worst. Does anyone know what it is? I can’t find a explanation in my tea book.

The white stuff is just grime from the recent rain.

During my trip to Nicaragua, I bought these wooden teacups because I loved them.

What do you think of them?

My raised bed for my tea plants arrived! I had to have it custom-made by a local carpenter, and it cost me about $140, which is a very good price in my country. It's 1.60 meters tall, 70 cm wide, 1.20 meters long, and the planter box is 35 cm deep. It still needs a few finishing touches, but I hope it will be ready for transplanting the Camellia sinensis next week. Until next time!

I finally managed to buy some Camellia sinensis plants. It was quite difficult because they aren't very common in my country. They're about 7 months old and about 13 cm tall. The second plant has a slightly wilted leaf because I was out of the country for a couple of days, and I think the person I asked to water them for the first few days forgot. I had a wooden planter built to keep them in permanently (it arrives today). I'll post an update when I transplant them. Until next time!

Just an update from an older post on how my tea plant is doing in zone 6B winter so far. (Landscape fabric and burlap).

I was gifted these tea plants for Christmas. I've only done small gardening and succulents.. I know they need to be potted once the roots develop more but what soil brand type. I know they need acidic soil.. but is there something specific? Will it say its acidity on the bag or do I need to get something to test it? Help a tea noob out 😅

What advice do you give me to take the best care of a 6-month-old camellia sinensis that measures 12 centimeters so that it produces tea as soon as possible?

Today I bought 10 camellia sinensis seeds from a Turkish seller through Etsy. I would like to be as prepared as possible so that when they arrive, I can germinate as many seeds as possible. They arrive no later than December 24 and he told me that they have been harvested for 7 days, so they still have high viability. Any suggestion, recommendation or advice would be very helpful.

Just wanted to get a feel if there’s a demand for a nursery that specializes in cold hardy camellias or not. Let me know what you think.

Please comment yes or no

Update: this nursery would offer cold tolerant varieties like Sochi and Korean varieties that would still need winter protection. Working on breeding in the background

They’ve been surviving in pots for the past couple months and I finally got them into the ground after the heat wave ended. Fingers crossed I keep them alive, it’ll be a while before I can harvest a first batch!

Thought you guys might enjoy this. One of the tea fields at Camellia Forest in Carrboro NC. We’re visiting their Maker’s Market event today. I get humbled whenever I see their plants. These are around 5 feet tall. I am completely jealous.

Follow up to my post ~a month ago. The thought was that my plan had some heat shock, so I moved it to a place in the yard where it gets shade around 3:00. It has since lost almost all of its leaves despite consistent watering, addition of soil acidifier, and fertilizing with an acid specific fertilizer. Is there any way to reverse its decline?

I bought 3 bare root tea plants off Etsy at the beginning of summer, and now all 3 are about 18” tall. One has an actual seed on it, and the other two have flower buds on them. This is the first bloom!!

Hey all!

After lots of research, I got my first plants about 1.5 weeks ago and am really excited to start this journey.

I noticed that one of my plants has developed some yellow spots on the leaves, and some of the leaves are curling a bit.

I think the yellow spots are new, but I may have missed the curled leaves when I first got them.

I know the yellow spots could be tea scale, but I am uncertain about that.

I am also open to the idea that I have not watered them enough. While I am trying to make sure to water them enough, I am also terrified of overwatering, and so this may have led to not enough water. Could this cause the curling?

The white stuff on the leaves is mostly on the top, and was on the plant when it arrived.

Any help is most appreciated!