Chinese camellia: description and cultivation

When choosing tea in a store, each customer tries to choose a quality product, not tea dust. But how to distinguish a natural product from a fake? In order not to become a victim of unscrupulous producers, try growing Chinese tea yourself in a room environment. You can get real tea leaves from a plant called camellia.

The culture is a branched shrub covered with dark green leaves with a smooth surface, on the seamy side, the color is lighter, and the structure is fleecy. Flowering is distinguished by an aesthetic appearance, the flowers have white or pale pink petals. The fruits that appear in late autumn resemble round boxes with three leaves.

There are two types of camellias - Chinese and Assamese. The Assamese variety is a tall plant up to 15 m long, so it cannot be planted in an apartment. Chinese camellia has a more compact size, its tea is rich, strong, however, it cannot boast of aroma.

In nature, a tea tree can grow even on stony soils, that is, it is not particularly capricious. Areas with tropical and subtropical climates are called the homeland of tea, however, the plant can withstand frosts and even snowy winters. True, if the tree is grown in unfavorable conditions, then the quality of the tea leaves will be significantly lower. The most delicious tea is taken from the bushes that are found in the agro-climatic zones of the subtropics at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level.

A tree that is grown artificially on plantations may not always produce quality tea. Competent care, special processing, nutritional supplements only contribute to an increase in foliage, but all these measures cannot affect the taste of the future drink. A home-grown "tea bush" also cannot compete in taste and aroma with a natural product or even an industrial one, but its leaves are no less useful.

You can grow Chinese camellia from seeds. Soak the beans before planting. All emerged specimens can be thrown away - their germination capacity is zero. You can also distinguish high-quality planting material from unpromising one by shaking the box with seeds: those grains that knock and look dry and unviable are unsuitable for planting.

Planting is required immediately, as tea seeds quickly lose their germination. If this is not yet necessary, then the grains can be placed in the moistened sand, put in the refrigerator and stored at a temperature of 4-5 degrees. Sowing is recommended in winter or March. Before planting, the seeds need to be held in hot water for several hours or left for two or three days in water at room temperature, changing the water daily.

After preparing the seeds, you can start preparing the soil. To do this, mix in equal parts sand, leafy earth and peat. Place drainage in the selected pot and cover with soil. Moisten the soil and place the seeds there to a depth of 5 cm.Cover the pot with glass or transparent film to create a greenhouse effect, and leave the container at +20 +25 degrees. Every day, the pot needs to be ventilated and made sure that the earth does not dry out. Usually, seedlings hatch after a month, but sometimes this process takes up to 2.5 months.

With the appearance of two true leaves, the sprouts are seated in separate containers. When planting a shoot in new soil, make sure that the root collar is at ground level. Moisten the bush regularly, loosen the soil after moistening, fertilize the plant, but be prepared for the culture to grow rather slowly. In the first year, growth is about 30 cm. Flowering begins at 1.5 years. When buds are being set, it is recommended to reduce the frequency of watering. A specimen becomes an adult at the age of 7-8 years.

If the "tea bush" is planted in a private house, then the cultivation will not be difficult. When it gets significantly warmer outside, the crop can be installed together with a container in the soil on the site. When the plant is kept in the apartment, then it can be taken out on the balcony for the summer. To retain moisture in warm weather, the soil can be covered with a layer of moss or peat.

Watering is carried out as the earthen coma dries out. It is better to moisturize the bush in the evening. If the plant is exposed to fresh air, and it is raining outside, then it does not need watering. During a drought, the soil is regularly moistened until water forms in the sump, in this situation the liquid is drained. Loosening is carried out after every sixth watering.

As soon as it gets colder on the street, the pots need to be brought into the house. The culture is not too whimsical to lighting, although it will be more comfortable in a shaded area. In order for the crown to develop evenly, periodically turn the pot to the sun in different directions.

To brew tea from a plant that is grown indoors, follow these steps.

1. Pinch off the apical shoots with your hands, on which 2-3 leaves are formed.

2. Rub the shoots with your palms until they become slightly sticky from the oil released and the leaves turn into tubules.

3. Place the tea on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes.

4. Dry the leaves and shoots in the oven at medium heat.

5. Collect the resulting infusion in a glass or tin container and store under an airtight lid.

Tea is brewed in the same way as any commercial beverage. Keep in mind that its taste will not seem as intense as an industrial product, because in the production of raw materials go through long stages of drying, fermentation and drying. However, be aware that your drink has retained all the vitamins, beneficial components and oils, and to improve the taste, you can add fruits or berries.

An overview of Chinese camellia in the video below.