"Rob B" wrote in message
news
Hi,

I am looking at trying to grow a Camellia Sinensis plant and eventually
making black tea from it. I have no gardening experience, I just thought
this would be a fun little thing to do. I thought I would ask here to see
if anyone has any experience growing it in Australia, I live in Melbourne,
around the Dandenong's.
I'm not even sure if I live in the right climate to grow it.

any comments are appreciated,
Thanks.

If you do decide to grow camellia's you will need an acid soil 6.2 to 6.8
pH. When selecting the plants go for ones with no central leader you want a
bush not a tree. Therefore you want something with shoots coming out at the
bottom or prune it so it grows that way. It is far easier to pick leaves at
waist hieght than up on a ladder. Pruning encourages new growth and the new
growth is what tea is made from.