Michael Plant > wrote in message >...
> Viðrar Vel Til
> anews.com4/20/04
>
>
> > I was curious, does anyone know if a Tea plant will actually grow in
> > Connecticut? I'm not looking to actually process the leaves for
> > drinking, just a plant for show, but i'm not sure if it would even
> > survive the climate. Any insights?
>
> Well, they appear to be doing fine in New York City. And "Connecticut Shade"
> is a great best tobacco for cigar wrapper. It's highly sought after. Don't
> know if there's a crosover here, but you wouldn't expect tobacco to grow in
> Connecticut either. Those are my insights.
>
> Michael

I do not have specific data for Connecticut but the following are
typical requirements for growing Camellia sinensis commercially:

1. Average air temperature 20 to 30 °C but bushes become dormant if
night temperatures drop below 13 °C
2. Dormant season temperature minima should be above minus 5 deg C
3. Soil temperature between 16 and 25 °C
4. Annual rainfall between 1,500 and 3,500 mm, well spread through the
growing season
5. Soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5 - death occurs at ph 7.0 and above.
6. Soil structu well drained but retentive.
7. Soil water deficit less than 40-100 mm (SWD = difference between
field capacity and the actual water in the soil. Tea crop can
evaporate 3 to 6 mm per day = 1,000 to 2,000 mm per year. Rainfall is
therefore marginal below 1,500 mm.)
8. Water table below 2 metres
9. Humidity: high enough not to limit growth (a saturation deficit
below 2.3 kPA, this can rise for example to 7 kPA in the hot dry
unproductive period in Malawi).
10. Light intensity: at least 700 to 800 W per m2 – that is typical
winter sun intensity in tropics = 75% of summer levels. Interception
is extremely high in tea grown commercially - only 40 w/m2 will reach
ground under healthy monoculture bushes.

All of these requirements are important, though in true Orwellian
fashion, some are more important than others.

Nigel at Teacraft
www.teacraft.com
www.nothingbuttea.co.uk