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First time Camellia Grower

Posted by kingzepplin Ma (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 15, 08 at 20:29

I am wanting to grow Cammellia plants, for I am an avid tea drinker. I will be growing them indoors, and if they grow well (and if my area is right for them), move them outside. I live in Massachusetts. My questions are:

1. Is it possible to sucsessfully grow Camellia Sinesis's indoors
2. If so, would south-facing windows be enought light, or would it be best to supplement with grow lights.
3. What type of grow light do Camellia's require.
4. What conditions (i.e. temperature, humidity, watering schedule, etc.) do Camellias growing indoors require.

I am aware of the difficulty of growing Camellias in a non-tropic area, however it would be amazing if I could manage to make my own tea leaves!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: First time Camellia Grower

Camellias are not particularly happy as an indoor plant, unless you are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse or conservatory. They need cooler temperatures than you will be comfortable with and a lot more humidity. Do you have a sunny location in your home where you can provide temperatures in the 40s to 50s in the winter? Small humidifiers can be purchased, as well.

Your southern facing windows may provide (barely) adequate sunlight but not for long enough. The short days of winter could present a problem, since you are thinking in terms of leaf production.

You will have to establish your own watering schedule, as that task is determined by so many variables: temperature, humidity, type of potting medium, type of container, size of plant compared to the container to name a few. It won't take you very long to figure out how to determine the watering needs of your plants.

Speaking of potting medium, be sure you spend some time researching your best options. The typical bagged soil-less mix cannot provide your plants with the porosity and soil structure they require for optimum growth and development. At least not without a lot of amending. A fast-draining mix also prevents most of the problems associated with over watering, too. That can be a real plus!

The flavor of tea comes a great deal from the growing conditions that the plants live in. That's why C. sinensis is grown (commercially) in so few locations around the world. So don't get your hopes up, okay? ;-)

Have you read up on how to make tea from the leaves?


 
 

 

 


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