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ryoumisaki

Green Tea Variation?

RyouMisaki
9 years ago

Hi, I have a doubt about green tea herbs.
I want to grow some Camellia Sinensis, so I can make Green, White and Black tea with it's leaves.
I'm from Brazil, and I found natural "green tea" on the open market...
The taste was a little different, and there were leaves and branches in it.
I asked for seeds, and he asked me to come back from time to time so he would give me some seeds for free, when they were mature.
Well... The problem is, I have the seeds now, but I'm not certain if they are really Camellia Sinensis, he gave me a branch some time before, and the seed pod is very different, it's a spiky seed pod, very close to one from Castor Beans, the leaves are similar to normal green tea leaves, and the seeds are white inside of some soft wrinkled shell, like they were made of thick brown paper drenched in oil and left to dry.
Sorry, I don't have pictures right now...
And the also call it "Bancha"
The question is: Is it a variation of Camellia Sinensis or not?
Can I make White and Black tea out of it?
If it isn't green tea at all, what is it then?

Thanks in advance for all the Replies.
Ryou Misaki.

Comments (2)

  • drmbear Cherry
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I found a picture of tea seeds at:

    http://narien.com/product/tea-seeds

    I have several tea plants, but they are still fairly small, and I haven't seen what the pod may look like yet. Considering the form of the plant, it seems that growing new plants from cuttings would be far preferrable than trying to get them growing from seed. Here's what it says about growing from seed:

    How to Grow Tea

    Tea seeds are relatively easy to grow. If you are not planting right away, store the tea seeds in a refrigerator. Tea seeds left at room temperature will rapidly loose moisture and become less viable.

    1.Soak the tea seeds in water overnight prior to planting.
    2.Plant the seeds in a small pot or seed starting containers, and cover with approx. 2.5 cm (1 inch) of soil. Best soils to use are a well draining organic potting soil.
    3.Water frequently by misting to keep the soil moist, but not soaked. A misting spray bottle works well.
    4.Place the plants in a shaded area until the seeds begin to sprout, then gradually move outdoors into sunlight. If using grow lights inside or in a greenhouse, make sure the plants receive approximately 12-18 hours of light.
    5.Water approximately two times per week in the first year as the roots become established.

    Teas grow well in warm, humid environments, so if you reside in an area that gets cool weather in the Winter and you are planning on growing outdoors you'll need to move them inside during times of cold temperatures. If you have, or can set up a green house area, where you can control the temperature, moisture and light you should have no problem at all with the growing process regardless of the climate in your region.

    Germination may take up to six to eight weeks, and as the plants first begin to grow it's important that they have some shade and aren't overexposed to the sun to ensure that the young plants don't dry out. As your plants begin to develop and its roots become stronger, you can gradually allow them to be exposed to more and more full sunlight. If you are growing in a controlled environment, twelve hours of light per day is ideal as your plants begin to reach maturity.

    Regular watering is essential as the roots of your tea become established, approximately two times a week is usually sufficient and rather than just soaking the soil you could mist the entire plant during waterings.

    Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub best suited for zones 6 though zone 8 (Mid-west to Southern US). Grow tea in a well-drained and sandy soil that is slightly on the acidic side.

    A typical tea plant will produce several thousand tea leaves per year. For a consistent daily supply for a family a hedge will be needed. If you are planning on growing your tea plant indoors, you'll need to prune it so that it doesn't outgrow its environment. Tea plants can flourish in very small areas, but without trimming they will continue to grow and can reach in excess of two meters in height - which may be a bit tall for some environments.

  • RyouMisaki
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yeah, the Seeds I have are nothing like those, they are flat...
    Thanks for the info, now I just need to know if those are or not, related to green tea, or another plant, totally unrelated x. x

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