Black Pepper/Tea for beverage

kurt · July 19, 2012

Tried black to grow black peppercorn never had any luck.Really want to try tea plants.Anybody with any experience for both of these staples?Wife and I enjoy the fresh ground varietys of pepper on foods.Peppercorns can get costly.Designer teas are not that inexpensive either.

noinwi · July 19, 2012

I have never grown black peppercorn. I have had a Camelia sinensis plant which is where all teas come from(black, green, white, oolong, etc). The leaves have to go through a sweating/fermenting process depending on the type of tea desired. I never got that far as we were moving and I gave my plant away. More info here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

kurt · July 19, 2012

Did some googling got general info just wanted to know the growing methods,seed starting?plant buying,etc.Thanx for reply and info.

noinwi · July 21, 2012

I originally purchased a 1 gallon plant from Nichol's Garden Nursery way back when for $25. I don't know how large the plant is in the link, but the cost is a little less. It's also a different cultivar. I kept mine in the gallon pot waiting to find a spot for it. It overwintered in zone7 just fine. The following season we had to move so it never got into the ground. I don't know if my friend ever put it in the ground or just into a larger pot but she still has it.

https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com...p?pid1005.html

kurt · July 21, 2012

Noinwi,Thanx for site.Logees has some also.

livinonfaith · July 22, 2012

It's so funny to look at the tea plants because I have a camellia plant that looks almost exactly like them as far as the foliage goes. However, I'm pretty sure that it isn't the right kind for tea and the flowers are deep pink.

Makes me want to go out in the spring and clip a few leaves, though, just to see if they taste good if you brew them!

meadowyck · July 24, 2012

Kurt

Here is a tea but not one to drink all day long everday. It is a good one for once a day and it is very inexpensive.....

http://bambooleaftea.net/

I'm sure you will be able to find plants for this one down your way.

kurt · July 24, 2012

Will try to find out what kind of bamboo it comes from.As you know from earlier posts had my "dance "with bamboo and am still shell shocked by the experience.Thanx Kurt

meadowyck · July 24, 2012

Almost all of the bamboo leaves you can use for tea. I have several here that I use in my soaps and lotions. I'll go look them up to find out that type and report back to ya.

kurt · July 24, 2012

Bless your heart for inquiring but if it has no caffeine probaly won't try it.

meadowyck · July 24, 2012

Yes bamboo DOESN'T have caffeine. Are you looking for caffeine?

kurt · July 24, 2012

The wife loves tea and we thought growing it would be different.We did find some plants from a company from up north(Logees) and found some pepper plants here in Florida(Botanical Growers).Thanx again

mrs_dlight · July 28, 2012

I don't know a whole lot about tomatoes but I do know quite a bit about tea. Tea plants take a very very long time to harvest around 5 + years. They can be difficult to grow sometimes. They don't grow well if it is too hot ,sunny or even too cold. They often need to be shaded and taste better with a bit of shade. Just like tomatoes soil and light effect the taste.Very best flavor is found in the first 2 leafs and buds. Then processing the tea is a whole other story. Most types of teas green, black, white and pu erh come from the very same tree. They are just prepossessed differently. I would read up on some tea books like the tea companion if you don't know a lot about type ect. .. and figure out what way you like it processed.

I have been growing tea plants as a novelty since high school. I never grew and processed anything better than what I could buy from a good tea garden or a name brand like reishi...but way better than some of that junk tea in some bags. Tea growing is honestly an art few people appreciate or know. Without a teacher it can be difficult to do but not impossible. I would encourage you to try with a few plants and see what happens but don't expect out of this world tea (honestly it will taste really bad the first few times like roasting your own coffee) I end up buying most of my tea in bulk for about $1 per oz at an Asian food store and mixing in my own fancy pants flavors.

hope this helps

kurt · July 29, 2012

Thanx for the reply,any info/experience on propagtion,cutting,cloning.Wish to grow for me and maybe some present plants.

July 19, 2012	#1
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,493	Black Pepper/Tea for beverage Tried black to grow black peppercorn never had any luck.Really want to try tea plants.Anybody with any experience for both of these staples?Wife and I enjoy the fresh ground varietys of pepper on foods.Peppercorns can get costly.Designer teas are not that inexpensive either.

July 24, 2012	#7
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Kurt Here is a tea but not one to drink all day long everday. It is a good one for once a day and it is very inexpensive..... http://bambooleaftea.net/ I'm sure you will be able to find plants for this one down your way. __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

July 24, 2012	#9
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Almost all of the bamboo leaves you can use for tea. I have several here that I use in my soaps and lotions. I'll go look them up to find out that type and report back to ya. __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

July 24, 2012	#11
meadowyck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: Brooksville, FL Posts: 1,001	Yes bamboo DOESN'T have caffeine. Are you looking for caffeine? __________________ Jan “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” -Theodore Roosevelt

July 19, 2012	#2
noinwi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: PNW Posts: 486	I have never grown black peppercorn. I have had a Camelia sinensis plant which is where all teas come from(black, green, white, oolong, etc). The leaves have to go through a sweating/fermenting process depending on the type of tea desired. I never got that far as we were moving and I gave my plant away. More info here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea

July 21, 2012	#4
noinwi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: PNW Posts: 486	I originally purchased a 1 gallon plant from Nichol's Garden Nursery way back when for $25. I don't know how large the plant is in the link, but the cost is a little less. It's also a different cultivar. I kept mine in the gallon pot waiting to find a spot for it. It overwintered in zone7 just fine. The following season we had to move so it never got into the ground. I don't know if my friend ever put it in the ground or just into a larger pot but she still has it. https://www.nicholsgardennursery.com...p?pid1005.html

July 22, 2012	#6
livinonfaith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina Posts: 1,332	It's so funny to look at the tea plants because I have a camellia plant that looks almost exactly like them as far as the foliage goes. However, I'm pretty sure that it isn't the right kind for tea and the flowers are deep pink. Makes me want to go out in the spring and clip a few leaves, though, just to see if they taste good if you brew them!

July 28, 2012	#13
mrs_dlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: upstate ny Posts: 11	I don't know a whole lot about tomatoes but I do know quite a bit about tea. Tea plants take a very very long time to harvest around 5 + years. They can be difficult to grow sometimes. They don't grow well if it is too hot ,sunny or even too cold. They often need to be shaded and taste better with a bit of shade. Just like tomatoes soil and light effect the taste.Very best flavor is found in the first 2 leafs and buds. Then processing the tea is a whole other story. Most types of teas green, black, white and pu erh come from the very same tree. They are just prepossessed differently. I would read up on some tea books like the tea companion if you don't know a lot about type ect. .. and figure out what way you like it processed. I have been growing tea plants as a novelty since high school. I never grew and processed anything better than what I could buy from a good tea garden or a name brand like reishi...but way better than some of that junk tea in some bags. Tea growing is honestly an art few people appreciate or know. Without a teacher it can be difficult to do but not impossible. I would encourage you to try with a few plants and see what happens but don't expect out of this world tea (honestly it will taste really bad the first few times like roasting your own coffee) I end up buying most of my tea in bulk for about $1 per oz at an Asian food store and mixing in my own fancy pants flavors. hope this helps

July 29, 2012	#14
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,493	Thanx for the reply,any info/experience on propagtion,cutting,cloning.Wish to grow for me and maybe some present plants.