I have ordered (Prunus mume) from Camellia Forest, and I highly recommend this nursery. It is well-priced, friendly, and the plants seem to be of very good quality. If the shipping is too much for a few seeds, why not just order a couple of tea plants? I assume you want them to make your own tea with, so it may be worth it to start with plants, which in a relatively short time can furnish you with both tea leaves and your own supply of seeds. Anyway, good luck in your search...

I would agree that the container size is probably a bit too big for that size plant. I have a similar size one this year for the first time - 'Rosea', which in additon to the pink blooms, has reddish leaves. Mine is currently in a 10" container with a 1/3rd peat, 2/3rd Promix soil (with some small bark chips mixed in). It's also mulched. I had purchased a white-blooming small-leaf tea for one of my sisters that was about 3ft tall and she has that in a 14" container. Mine gets some morning sun outside and is starting to set flower buds. Hers is in full sun (!!), but had been vigorously growing the last time I checked it (hers was probably older than mine and apparently adapted fine to that). Since I yearly overwinter a coffee plant (which is 5 years old), I am going to put the tea in the same place as I overwinter the coffee - cool bedroom in winter (~60° F) with humidifiers (humidity 50%+), bright daylight conditions but no direct sun, and less watering during that time. I think the main problem with these in containers is root rot if the container is too large and the soil does not have perfect drainage and/or the air is too dry around their leaves. Because they are slow growers (and slow root producers - at least when compared to my coffee), they definitely can't be overwatered but also can't be allowed to dry out since they live off of surface roots). Regarding hardiness, from what I understand, it's only hardy to about Zone 8, and possibly 7 if in a very protected location with a warm microclimate out of the winter winds.

Hello, danrobjon. The browned leaves sound like a lack of moisture problem. Here in Texas, I keep the soil moist and well mulched & the plants shaded (starting at 10-11am) throughout our 100-110F summers and experience no leaf brown outs. Maintain an appropriate watering schedule and resist the temptation to water just based on the temperatures. Check the soil moisture daily by inserting a finger to a depth of four inches and see how the soil feels: dry, moist or wet. If it feels dry or almost dry then water deeply. Otherwise, leaves watering for another day. You will soon notice yourself watering on a certain schedule (say, every two/three/four days). At that point, then set the sprinkler to water the plants on that schedule. If the temperatures go up/down 10-15 degrees, check daily again to see if your schedule needs tweaking or if you need to increase the amount of water that they get. Remember that this works both ways. You should reduce the amt of water when fall brings moderating temperatures. The problem we have during the summer months is actually that of watering too much. We feel the heat and want to give the plants a break so we water. Watering frequently causes the soil to be wet too often. If the soil remains wet for a long time because of lots of rain or drainage issues, the roots can develop root rot. By checking the soil manually and only watering when the soil begins to feel almost dry then you prevent root rot. Your plants may have dried out a little and this caused some leaves to brown out. However, from your description it looks as if they have recovered. Keep them shaded during the hot afternoon sun, keep them well mulched with 3-4" of acidic mulch and keep the soil moist (not wet). Do not fertilize them when they are stressed. The partly browned leaves will stay on until it is time to shed leaves. When this happened to me once during winter (yes, you should water then too if your soil does not freeze), I left those leaves on until the plant shed them on its own. Others prune them for aesthetic reasons. Does this help you, danrobjon? Good luck, Luis

At the Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Is., near Charleston, SC, their plants are grown in full sun. On a recent trip there, we noticed some of the plants in one field were in a state of decline. The owner stated that with so much rainfall last year and somewhat inadequate drainage in that field, the plants had become damaged because of water saturated soil. An interesting place to visit, when touring the historic areas around Charleston. When you go, don't miss seeing the Angel Oak Tree in that area. It's a Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, thought to be about 1400-1500 years old and the oldest living thing east of the Miss. River. Here is a link that might be useful: Charleston Tea Plantation