So you have decided you want to multiply some tea plants and you are wondering if you should use cuttings or start plants from seed. Let's look at each one to help you decide. And watch our YouTube short to learn which one we use here on the farm.
Tea Plant Cuttings
How to get a tea plant cutting:
To get a cutting you will cut the medium part between the new growth and the woody stem. Let it sit in the shade for 1 hour. You will need to leave two leaves and two nodes on the stem. These are planted in deep pots with good soil. No rooting hormone is necessary. Place the cutting under shade cloth during high heat. It will take a full year before the cuttings will be ready to be placed into the field. For full details and pictures on how to take cuttings visit our blog post on how to take a cutting.
Advantages of a tea plant cutting:
- Cuttings are clones of the original plant. If your tea plant was more drought tolerant than another variety and you want to duplicate that, cuttings is the best way.
Disadvantages of a tea plant cutting:
- Cuttings take two years to be ready for planting. This is because a cutting, unlike a seed needs more time to develop a tap root.
Tea Seeds
How to start a tea plant seedling:
We treat seeds just like they are treated in nature. We don't push them into the soil but simply place them on top of the soil in a bit of a trench. We then pat them down so they will be halfway in and out of the soil. This allows the seeds to regulate their own temperature. After about a year you will have a tea plant ready to go into the ground.
Advantages of a tea plant seedling:
- It is the fastest way to get a tea plant that can be planted into the ground.
- Strong tap root develops early.
- Generally a stronger healthier tea plant.
Disadvantages of a tea plant seedling:
- The plant genetics can be a mess. It may not stay true to the plant the seed was taken from.
So which way do we do it here on the farm? Watch Timmy here.
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If you cannot watch the video, here is what method we prefer on the farm.
The Great Mississippi Tea Company's preferred method for starting new tea plants:
We now mainly start all our tea plants from seed. We want to have plants we can plant in the ground sooner. We will mainly now only use cuttings when we want to preserve specific plant genetics or to multiply certain tea plants. Otherwise each year we increase our tea plants from seed!
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