If you love tea and ever wanted to grow your own plants, then this is the right guide for you!
Growing your own tea plants is an excellent idea if you love freshly brewed tea. You will never have to worry about running out again, and it’s a great way to grow your own organic herbs. Let’s take a look at some popular choices!
Why should I grow my own tea?
There is nothing more rewarding than growing your own food or in this case grow your own tea! There are many different kinds of teas you can grow at home from just starting out to being an expert gardener. Tea has been around since 2800 B .C. and has been liked by millions of people around the world for its amazing taste!
Interesting Fact: It is said that the word tea probably came from Mandarin Chinese (cha) and found its way into English during the 17th century.
These are the advantages of growing your own tea:
Health benefits
There are many health benefits to drinking tea, especially green tea. Green tea is very popular among Asian countries for its great taste and the way it makes you feel. Drinking green tea naturally quenches thirst due to its water content of around 90%. Studies have shown that if you drink two cups of fresh-brewed green tea a day then you will get a boost in your metabolism. Green tea is also great for you because it has properties that prevent the buildup of carcinogens and inhibits cancer growth!
Black tea is very good for your teeth and gums. It helps fight infections in the mouth that cause cavities! Black tea also boosts your brain power by improving memory and making you more alert!
The Health benefits of tea can be very beneficial to you because it has antioxidants that help fight the free radicals in your body, which is known to cause heart attacks and cancers.
Your own organic supply
If you grow your own tea plants then it will be much easier to make sure that your plants are organic. This means no pesticides or chemicals are being used on the plants! Growing your own tea is a great alternative for people who have allergies, sensitivities, or just do not like drinking tea made with pesticides and harsh chemicals.
Mental benefits
Tea is not only good for your physical health, but it can also be great for mental health. If you grow your own tea plants then it will give you a more relaxed feeling and help with feelings of stress! This is because many teas contain caffeine which stimulates the brain and helps bring on that calmness we feel after some cups of tea.
Gardening can have many positive effects on your mental health, such as helping with stress and anxiety, increasing happiness, and relieving symptoms of depression.
Environment friendly
If you grow your own tea plants then it is more environmentally friendly than buying them. Many teas are picked by hand or machine which can be very harmful to the environment and worker conditions. Growing your own organic tea will mean that there were no chemicals used for growing, no workers treated badly during harvesting, and better quality control because of this!
Improved air quality
If you grow your own tea plants then it will also give off oxygen which improves air quality. Most herbs that can be used for tea grow very quickly, so having an entire garden of them means the environment around you will be improved over time!
Interesting Fact: NASA did a study and found that certain houseplants can remove harmful chemicals in the air such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and more.
What plants are good for making tea?
We’ll discuss what each plant needs in order to grow well and provide you with ideas for some of our favorites! Here are the best plants for making tea:
Camellia Sinensis
For making black, green, white, or oolong teas you grow this plant in a pot. It is the basis of all other types of tea. Plant it outside in good sunlight when the weather gets warmer during springtime. This is the perfect time to grow your tea plants because there are no harsh frosts, and it’s easy for us to forget how cold winter can get!
We recommend growing Camellia Sinensis in a big pot that has an even amount of soil on all sides. The plant needs at least eight hours of sunlight per day so you should grow it in a place that gets plenty of sunlight.
For best results, water your tea plant with rainwater instead of tap or well water. If you live somewhere where the climate is very hot then obviously try to grow this variety outside! Camellia Sinensis prefers soil that has a neutral pH level and can grow up to two feet high.
Mint
Mint is a great herb that can grow indoors and outdoors. It does not grow too tall, so it’s perfect for growing on your windowsill or balcony if you live in an apartment! Mint tea has been popular around the world for centuries and can be made with all kinds of different mint plants like peppermint, spearmint, etcetera.
This plant does grow best when you grow it directly in the soil outside because mint needs lots of water to grow. It also prefers moist, well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter. Mint is easy to grow if you place its pot near a window or another source of sunlight. If you decide to grow this plant indoors then make sure to grow it in a pot that has good drainage so the soil doesn’t get too soggy.
Lavender
Lavender is another favorite herb of people all over the world. This plant can taste good with many other herbal plants including chamomile, lavender, and peppermint. Lavender not only gives a great fragrance to your tea but also has a high amount of vitamin A in its flowers that can help with different skin ailments.
The lavender plant prefers to grow in well-drained soil, so be sure there is a hole at the bottom of your pot so excess water can drain out. Its flowers grow best when you grow them outside and give it full sun for eight hours per day. Because this plant likes being watered often, we recommend growing it indoors if you live in a dry climate.
When growing lavender outside it will attract bees and butterflies which can help pollinate your garden! Lavenders grow best when you keep them around six inches tall, so if they grow too tall then prune them back right away.
Chamomile
Chamomile is another perfect herb for making tea. This plant has many health benefits and can be used to grow tea that helps soothe upset stomachs! Chamomile works great in blends with peppermint, lavender, or spearmint because of its subtle flavor profile.
This plant loves the sun but also needs humidity, so grow it in a place that gets lots of sunlight and also grow some other plants around it to help give off humidity. If chamomile doesn’t get enough water then its flowers will start turning brown and die, so be sure to grow this plant near a source of running water if you live in an area with very dry summers!
Rosehip
Rosehip is a great herb to grow if you love making tea because its fruits give off an incredible aroma! This plant has quite a sweet flavor, so it’s perfect for drinking it just like it is. Rosehips also have high amounts of vitamin C that can help with colds and other illnesses during the winter months.
This plant loves growing in well-drained soil and prefers to grow somewhere sunny. It does grow tall so we recommend growing it outside! Rosehips grow best when they’re pruned back every now and then during the spring, summer, and fall seasons because this extends its harvest period!
A rosehip bush will grow to about three feet tall. If you grow this plant in an area that gets lots of rain then it’s important to grow it on a slope so the soil doesn’t get too soggy.
Rooibos
Rooibos is a very popular tea plant in South Africa and can grow well both outdoors and indoors. This herb has a bold flavor profile, so it’s best to grow if you want your own unique mix of herbal teas!
Rooibos leaves are great for making an antioxidant-rich tea that many people love to drink every day. This plant loves growing out in the sun, so grow it outside if you live somewhere that gets lots of sunlight!
It prefers growing in soil that’s slightly acidic with a pH level of around six. If you want to grow this plant inside then make sure it gets lots of sunlight through the windows and be sure there are no curtains blocking its light source.
These types of plants can grow up to about three feet tall, so grow it somewhere where you can let the plant grow to its full potential. If your rooibos gets too long then prune off some of its branches so that it grows into a bushier shape!
Mallow
Mallow is a great herb to grow if you want something that’s tasty and also super easy to grow! This plant grows very quickly, so it can be harvested as needed.
Interesting Fact: A cup of mallow tea contains more vitamin A than a carrot!
This plant should be kept moist at all times! If the leaves start turning black then mallow probably doesn’t get enough water or sunlight, so grow it in a place that gets lots of sunlight.
Mallow grows best in moist soil that’s rich with organic material. If you grow this plant outside then it will grow to about four feet tall, but if you grow it inside then grow it in a large grow pot that’s at least 12 inches deep.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is another easy-to-grow tea plant that can be grown indoors and outdoors. This herb has a very fresh flavor profile, so it’s perfect for sunny days or even gray days as a mood booster! Lemongrass works great in blends with peppermint or lavender because its flavor isn’t too overpowering like other plants such as rooibos.
Lemongrass is best known for its soothing effects, so grow it if you want to make an herbal tea that can help with upset stomachs and other similar conditions! Lemongrass also contains high amounts of vitamin C like chamomile does which means both plants are great for the winter months when you need lots of vitamin C to help you fight off the cold.
This plant will thrive in well-drained soil and prefers a place which that gets a lot of sunlight during the day, so grow it outside if possible! Lemongrass is best suited for planting into loamy soils with high levels of organic matter because its roots will grow very deep.
Lemongrass is a very fast grower, so it’s best to grow this plant in an area where you can let the roots grow without being disturbed. After its first harvest, lemongrass will grow back very quickly which means that frequent pruning is necessary!
Thyme
Thyme is a very aromatic herb that can grow in most places. This plant loves the sun and prefers growing outdoors as long as it gets a lot of rain or water.
This herb grows to about two feet tall, so it can easily be grown on a window sill if you don’t have a garden or balcony. If you live somewhere where the temperatures are warmer year-round, then thyme is perfect for growing outdoors!
Thyme has a very bold flavor profile and can not only be used for tea but also for cooking! This herb is best known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Thyme grows best when it’s harvested regularly, so grow this plant near an area where you’ll be pruning. Because thyme is a very fast grower, you can grow it in many different areas of your yard or garden!
Raspberry
Last but not least, the raspberry! These plants grow quickly and have a very bold flavor profile and contain high amounts of iron and calcium, so grow it if you want something that can help with anemia and other bone ailments.
Depending on the variety of raspberry plants, this herb might grow up to about six feet tall! However many raspberries grow about eighteen inches tall. A good spot to grow raspberry would be somewhere that’s partially shaded with well-drained soil.
What do you need to grow tea?
To grow your own tea you will need some basic gardening tools such as a shovel, gloves, and pots. You should also be aware of the size in which you want to grow your tea plants because some can get very large!
You can grow any of these plants using organic fertilizers so your tea is free from any chemicals or pesticides. The soil should have a pH balance of around six so grow your tea in soil that is slightly acidic.
If you grow your tea outside then make sure that it is not in a place where children or animals can easily access the plant. If they do ingest any part of this plant, especially green tea plants have been known to be toxic for humans and animals alike!
How do you process your tea leaves?
If you grow your own tea leaves, then the process for preparing them is very similar to that of store-bought teas.
First, wash and dry your plant thoroughly before processing it because any dirt or bacteria still on the leaf can affect its taste. You will need a sharp knife as well as some string so cut each part of the plant off of its stem. This is also a great way of knowing if your plant has enough sunlight or nutrients because only healthy-looking foliage should grow!
Now you can either dry the leaves by hanging them upside down or using an oven set at around 145 degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen minutes maximum, but make sure you watch it closely so that your tea doesn’t burn. If using an oven to dry out your fresh plants, make sure they are spread on two baking sheets so that they are not overlapping each other.
After that, store your tea in air-tight containers to keep it fresh!
If you grow green tea plants then they must be dried within six hours after they are cut because once they are cut, they start to lose their flavor.
Once your tea is processed you can either drink it as-is or make a tasty iced tea by adding some lemon and honey!
How to brew your own organic tea?
To brew your own tea out of dry leaves, add a tablespoon of leaves into a tea infuser or directly into a pot that you will be brewing it in. Fill the pot with boiling water and let your tea sit for around five minutes before straining out the leaves!
If you grow your own tea then you can also use fresh leaves in this method, but make sure to add a little bit more water because the plant will not need as much time to infuse.
You can drink your organic tea hot or cold. Just remember that when drinking green and white teas they should only be brewed for around two to three minutes.
If you grow your own tea then the possibilities are endless when it comes to what kind of flavors that you can infuse into your infusion. You should choose a base plant that is easy for you to grow, but try growing different plants together so that you get new and exciting tastes in your cup!
Final thoughts
I grow my own tea plants, and it is fairly simple to do. You can grow your own organic supply of green or black teas with ease if you follow the above steps carefully. This way you are ensuring that no harsh chemicals are used on your plant which means better tasting tea for yourself in the end without any toxic substances being added.
Although most of these plants can grow in different climates and regions, you should be aware that some may not grow in colder areas.
Now that you know how to grow your own organic tea plants, let’s see what kind of taste combinations you will create!
