The habitat of the Chinese Camellia is tropical and subtropical mountain forests of Indochina. In the former USSR, the climate of Krasnodar Territory and Georgia is suitable for growing green tea in the open field. You can put a camellia in a container and clean it for the winter in a cool room where there is no risk of freezing of the root system.
Contents
Planting seeds:
The optimal time for planting tea seeds is winter or early spring. Only solid dark brown seeds are suitable. It is very important that they are fresh because Camellia quickly loses its germination. Place them for two days in water at room temperature or in a growth stimulant solution (for example, Appin). The seeds that are ready for germination swell during this time, the bad ones will emerge, there is no sense to plant them. The shells of the seeds are hard to help them hesitate; gardeners often resort to scarification — lightly cut the shell.
After preparation, you can immediately begin sowing in a mixture of equal parts of turf, leaf soil, humus and sand to a depth of 3–4 cm. Be sure to place the drainage on the bottom of the pot. Cover it with a bag or glass on top – the ground should always remain slightly damp.
Before the first shoots appear, it will take from 1 to 3 months. If they die, do not give up and stop caring for the crops – alive root system may remain in the ground, and after some time new shoots will appear.
Tea bush from cuttings:
For cuttings use young shoots that have not yet had time to woody. Twigs are cut into pieces 6–8 cm long, making an oblique cut under the bottom sheet. Rooted in a mixture of equal parts of sand, leaf and peat ground. Coarse-grained sand is poured on top with a layer of 3-5 cm in which the cutting is buried. Capacity with cuttings covered with a package. About a week later, roots will form on the cuttings, and the package can be removed.
Of course, not everyone will have the opportunity to get the tea tree cuttings, but it is definitely easier and faster to root them, to grow tea from seeds.
Tea Tree Care:
For a year, seedlings reach a height of 20–30 cm. Blooming is possible already at the age of one and a half years, but it will be necessary to wait a while with the collection of tea leaves from its bush until it is 2–3 years old.
Transfer:
The first transplant is performed on seedlings when they have the first pair of true leaves (a pair of cotyledons will appear first). Too much capacity is not necessary to choose, because otherwise there is a high risk to pour the plant. To start fit and plastic cups. Young camellias need to be transplanted annually, and trees above half a meter are required only once every 3 years.
Crown formation:
When the plant reaches a height of 15–20 cm, it is pinched to stimulate branching. Camellia Chinese willingly branches and increases green mass, but for this, it needs regular watering and does not interfere with top dressing. Loosening has a positive effect. There is no special need for crown formation – you can keep camellia as a tree or shrub. On plantations, they are usually cut at a height of about a meter for ease in collecting leaves.
Conditions of detention:
You can place the plant in a sunny place or in partial shade, even the northern sill will do. For the normal development and flowering of the Camellia Chinese, proper wintering is necessary. The optimum temperature in the rest period is 5–8 ° C. Without a wintering tragedy will not happen, but the state of the tea tree may suffer. You can help him by regularly spraying the leaves and other measures to increase the humidity of the air. Watering at the same time reduce, and from dressing until spring and completely refuse.
Since spring, watering is gradually increased, with the end of the heating season, spraying the leaves can be stopped. When the plant resumes growth, it will be ready for fertilization – it is enough to use universal fertilizer for houseplants once every 2 weeks, and iron chelate has a good effect. Before feeding, you must first pour camellia with clean water. Collect the leaves for tea you need to make fertilizer!
In the summer months, the plant develops especially well in the fresh air. If possible, bring it to the balcony or veranda.
Benefits of green tea:
How to brew and use green tea so that it brings maximum benefit? Masters of tea drinking recommend using not a teapot, but a special mug with a tea strainer for tea leaves and a removable lid. Put 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in a strainer. Boil fresh water, wait until the bubbling finally stops and fill the mug so that the water covers the brew. Keep in mind, green tea, unlike black, can and should be brewed repeatedly. It is permissible from 2 to 5 times to prepare a healing infusion on one tea leaves, then all the beneficial substances contained in the tea leaves will go into the water.
I would like to introduce you to the indisputable advantages that distinguish green tea from other varieties. The production technology of green tea is more careful. As is known, black and green tea is made from the same tea leaves, only the methods for further processing of the material differ. Black tea is fermented, during which some of its beneficial properties are lost. While in the manufacture of green varieties, vitamins and minerals are stored in full.
The benefits of green tea are more substantial. Of the first advantage, the second is the result — green tea gives more useful substances into the water on which it is pressed than black. These are minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, trace elements fluorine, iron, iodine, as well as valuable amino acids. Saves from inflammation and even cancer! Scientists have found that green tea contains special substances – catechins, which have a rejuvenating effect, effectively fight inflammatory processes and protect the human body from the occurrence of cancer. Contributes to the normalization of metabolism. Anyone who follows this or that diet can be safely recommended – drink green tea in the largest possible amounts!
This unique drink helps regulate metabolism and prevents the occurrence of failures in important body systems. Tea contains a tannin substance that effectively stimulates the activity of the digestive tract. It is not for nothing that in hot countries, where fatty mutton and pilaf are often eaten – food is heavy for the stomach, and at the same time they drink several bowls of fresh green tea. Pectin contained in green tea helps to fully utilize incoming fats in the vital activity of the body, without creating unnecessary reserves.
In addition, it is able to lower cholesterol in the blood, which helps our vessels to remain free from atherosclerotic plaques longer. Kills bacteria and microbes. Within the human digestive tract, green tea safely fights infections caused by eating too fresh food. Now you are not afraid of poisoning! Washing the body Green tea helps naturally excrete toxins from the body, the accumulation of salts. It has a weak diuretic property and remarkably washes out the excretory systems, in particular, the kidneys. As a bonus – the skin begins to shine with purity and health! It protects against radiation.
If you are in close contact with harmful radiation, people should consume green tea in large quantities, it helps against radioactive and other types of radiation. Leads to the tone of the brain and heart activity Green tea is able to make blood circulation more intense, by increasing the gaps in the vessels, as a result – the main body systems get more oxygen from the bloodstream and begin to function better.
The side effect of green tea:
Most people who want to lose weight probably tried green tea. Even if you do not consume it regularly, you have probably heard that it can stimulate weight loss. However, green tea, like any other product, has its advantages and disadvantages. It is great that it is of vegetable origin. However, an excessive amount of this drink can cause serious side effects. Perhaps some of you have personally experienced this, not realizing that green tea was the cause.
The most common side effects include a headache, stomach upset, anxiety, tremor, arrhythmia, nausea, loss of appetite, lower back pain etc Also, try not to drink green tea late at night, because this will seriously affect your sleep. A number of studies indicate that green tea consumption is extremely harmful in combination with antidepressants, tranquilizers, antihistamines and birth control pills. Green tea is also not recommended for people suffering from anemia.
In order to avoid these health risks, consume green tea in moderation.
Green tea, on the other hand, has many health benefits: it slows down aging, speeds up the metabolism and burns fat. In fact, it has a wide range of benefits if consumed at the recommended daily intake.
How to make green tea at home naturally
Ingredients:
-1 teaspoon of green tea leaves (or 1 teabag)
-1 cup of water
-Honey (optional)
Instructions:
1. Boil the water and let it cool for about 2 minutes. This will prevent the tea from becoming bitter.
2. Pour the water into a cup and add the green tea leaves or teabag. Allow it to steep for 3 minutes.
3. Remove the leaves or teabag and enjoy your tea plain, or with a bit of honey if desired.
How to make green tea powder at home
Ingredients:
-1 cup green tea leaves
-1/2 cup tapioca starch
-1/4 teaspoon matcha powder (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spread green tea leaves on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly dried out. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine green tea leaves, tapioca starch, and matcha powder (if using). Blend until a fine powder forms. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Brewing Instructions:
To make a cup of tea, add 1 teaspoon of green tea powder to a cup of hot water. Stir well and enjoy! You can also add milk and sweetener to taste.
Now that you know how to make green tea powder at home, experiment with different ways of enjoying it! Try adding it to smoothies, baking with it, or making iced green tea lattes. Have fun and enjoy!
