(W4, G17 planted 2025) WSU Mount Vernon is experimenting with many different tea varieties to find plants that are hardy in our area. The variety we have started with is Minto Pacific. In the future we will look to WSU’s successes to add other hardy varieties to the fruit garden. Please see the WSU Mount Vernon tea webpage to learn about planting tea in our area and how to make tea at home: https://vegetables.wsu.edu/tea.
ESTABLISHMENT
Tea plants, like blueberries, need a pH of 4.8 to 5.5. They do well with a mulch of wood chips six inches deep. They prefer protection from the wind. Plant tea plants in spring after frosts have passed. When planting a new plant, pick off any flower buds that form and allow multiple branches to grow to achieve a bush with many branches..
If you are planting a single tea plant, leave 6 feet between the tea plant and other plants or structures. If you are forming a tea hedge, space plants 2-3 feet (60-100 cm) apart in a row. Summer irrigation is essential for tea plant production. Refer to drip irrigation systems used for blueberries.
Tea plants tend to form a shallow root system (about 16 inches deep) with many adventitious roots. Growing tea plants in the shade can decrease root growth, and pruning young leaves can also reduce root growth. It usually takes 4 years for tea plants to be ready for first harvest, though they will not be considered “mature” until closer to 10 years old.
PRUNING
Pruning of young tea bushes is essential to develop a frame/shape with a high number of new shoots, which are harvested. Do not prune plants or harvest leaves between October and February to ensure plants overwinter successfully, as plants may be severely impacted by cold damage.
Tea plants can grow to the size of a small tree (15-20 ft) if not pruned. When grown for tea, prune plants each year to form a flat top surface, and after 4–6 years keep plants pruned to waist height for ease of harvest. See the WSU publication for pruning tea plants to achieve maximum production: https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/extension/uploads/sites/25/Tea-extension-guide-.pdf
HARVESTING
When you prune your tea plants, you can collect the shoot tips and use to make tea. Full harvest will begin about 4–6 years after planting. Harvest the top three new leaves. See the WSU website for some home tea processing methods. The simplest tea to make is “white tea” by drying the leaves without further touching them. White tea has a delicate flavor and high antioxidant content due to the minimal processing.
