(Formerly ‘Lipton Plantation’) This selection from Donnie Barrett of Fairhope Tea Plantation has small, medium green leaves with pronounced serration. Vigorous growth produces lots of shoots for harvest! Prolific flowers and seed set, and quite cold hardy. Lipton Tea Company started a tea research project at Fairhope but after 4 years the plants were bulldozed and burned. Donnie Barrett saved 3 plants and propagated many from these. Fairhope Select is one of these selections.
Lipton – Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) and then regions in India and Africa
Purchased plant in a 2 quart container: Approximately 1 year old, 8″ to 12″ tall, single stem with only occasional branching.
Planted in October/November 2025 in a blueberry blend soil mix from Nature’s Way Resources.
When and how to plant
- Planting out: In early fall or spring, prepare a bed at least 3 by 3 feet, dig a hole 2 feet wider than the root ball, and refill with conditioned soil after centering the plant. Mulch within 4 inches of the stem. Space plants 3 feet apart.
- Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring with a balanced mix or an organic compost. Use a slow-release source of nitrogen in the summer if you are harvesting heavily, no later than July. Excess fertilizer is not recommended, but rainfall (or watering) in summer encourages new growth.
Pruning tea plants
- Tea plants require 3-5 years of growth prior to a productive harvest. Plants can be kept low for harvesting, but will grow large if you let them.
- First year plants are pruned to 6-10 inches to promote low, spreading branches. Pruning in the next few years continues to develop branching.
- Prune after flowering in late fall through winter to promote spring growth.
Harvesting tea
The amount you can harvest from one plant depends on the size, pruning, and growing conditions.
Tea is produced from the tender new growth of the plant – the top “two leaves and a bud” (i.e., the youngest leaf – before opening).
New growth (flushes) occur in spring-summer, and harvesting stimulates new growth – typically up to 4 flushes per year.
A small handful of fresh shoots will yield a cup of tea. Processed tea dries down to about 20% of the weight of fresh leaves.
Source: Plants purchased purchased Camellia Forest Nursery and general information gathered from their website: https://camforest.com
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