Tea Growing Guide
Evergreen shrub whose leaves are processed into tea. Grown in highland tropical regions.
Growing Conditions
Soil Requirements
Soil Type & pH
Best soil types: acidic loam, sandy loam, volcanic
pH range: 4 - 6 (optimal: 5)
Drainage: excellent
Nutrient Needs (N-P-K)
Planting Guide
Yield & Economics
Common Pests & Diseases
Common Pests
- Tea mosquito bug
- Red spider mite
- Tea tortrix
- Shot hole borer
- Thrips
- Scale insects
Common Diseases
- Blister blight
- Grey blight
- Root rot
- Red rust
- Black rot
- Stem canker
Use to identify issues early and prevent crop losses.
Growing Tips
Pluck only the top two leaves and a bud (fine plucking) for quality tea — coarse plucking (3+ leaves) increases volume but drastically reduces auction prices.
Maintain the plucking table at 60-75 cm through regular pruning cycles — unpruned tea grows into trees and becomes impossible to harvest efficiently.
Tea requires strongly acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5) — apply sulfur or aluminum sulfate if pH exceeds 6.0, as nutrient lockout occurs in alkaline conditions.
Establish shade trees (Grevillea, Albizia) at 8-12 m spacing to reduce heat stress and improve leaf quality — shade-grown tea has higher L-theanine and better flavor.
Apply nitrogen in 4-5 split doses aligned with plucking rounds (every 6-8 weeks) — tea responds to N more than any other nutrient, but excess causes coarse growth.
Pluck every 7-10 days during the growing season — longer intervals produce coarser shoots that reduce both quality grade and processing efficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Tea take to grow?
Tea typically takes 1095 days from planting to harvest. Seeds germinate in about 30 days. The best planting season is spring.
What soil does Tea need?
Tea grows best in acidic loam, sandy loam, volcanic soil with a pH of 4-6. Excellent drainage is required.
What temperature does Tea need?
Tea grows best at 18-28°C. Frost tolerance: light. Heat tolerance: low.
What is the expected yield for Tea?
Tea yields approximately 2,000 kg made tea/hectare under good conditions. Multiple harvests per year are possible (4).
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