Good afternoon, my reader. In a harsh climate, there is no way to cultivate a heat-loving culture in the open field. This idea can only be brought to life in an apartment or a greenhouse. In favorable conditions, even a novice grower can grow a compact bush of tea on the windowsill.
Please put your likes and subscribe to the channel "About Fasenda". This will allow us to publish more interesting garden articles.
Planting a tea bush with seeds
Growing tea from seeds is a difficult and time-consuming process. Planting material must be fresh — only this guarantees good germination of the seedlings. Before planting, containers with potting soil are prepared in advance, which can be purchased at a horticultural (flower) store. For this, the soil "for azaleas" or universal "for seedlings" is quite suitable.
Sometimes flower growers prepare their own potting mix. In this case, take:
- leafy ground;
- sod soil;
- vermiculite;
- humus;
- gravel.
The components, taken in equal proportions, are thoroughly mixed. Since the tea tree prefers slightly acidic soil, it is advisable to add a little high peat to this mixture.
Before planting, the seeds of a tropical plant are placed in warm water and kept in it for 48 hours. It is advisable to renew this liquid periodically. Slightly swollen seed material is sown into prepared containers, deepening them no more than 3 cm.
The soil is moistened with a spray bottle, the planting container is covered with glass (film, plastic) and left warm. After 2-2.5 months, the first shoots will appear. Then the container with the seedlings is placed closer to natural light.
The shelter is periodically opened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen, and the shoots are adapted to external conditions. When real leaves appear on the seedlings (3-4 pcs.), The seedlings dive into separate pots. At the same time, you should not immediately choose bulky containers, since young tea trees must be transplanted into fresh soil every spring.
Propagation of a tea bush by cuttings
Of course, it's easier than ever to buy a ready-made tea tree and spend your time only caring for it. However, if your friends already have this culture, then you can try to grow an evergreen bush from a cutting. To do this, you don't even have to specially injure the plant, because it doesn't care (in spring-summer) it needs to form a crown.
Having chosen an annual shoot, it is cut at an oblique angle. If the branch is long, then several cuttings 6-8 cm long can turn out from it. Each seedling should have 3-4 leaves. The lower ends of the cuttings are dipped in potassium humate or "Kornevin" and planted in moistened soil.
The container with seedlings is covered with polyethylene so that the rooting process starts faster. After 2-3 weeks, the tea sprouts will be ready to be transplanted into separate pots.
Tea bush care
The tropical culture loves a lot of light, warmth and moderate watering. If you put a pot with a plant on the east or west window, then it will be comfortable there. It is important that the air temperature does not drop below 18-20 ° C. In this case, one should not forget about airing the room.
When the plant grows, they begin to form a crown. This procedure not only gives the tree a decorative look, but also stimulates the formation of new shoots.
Growing tea at home is not an easy task. However, the desire to drink a cup of aromatic drink from your own harvest will remove all doubts.
Have you tried growing tea indoors?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
Read about watering grapes in the summer in the following article:Watering grapes in summer is the key to a good harvest in autumn