The perfect location for your tea plant Camellia sinensis

How to grow your Growing Karma tea plant

Have you acquired a Camellia sinensis, Lognjing 43, or Wannong 85 from Growing Karma? Great! You're now part of a new tea culture in Germany, where sustainability, quality, and genuine tea cultivation in your own garden or balcony play a role. However, unlike the subtropical conditions of their countries of origin, such as China, Japan, or India, the German climate presents a few challenges. The right location is crucial for your tea plant to grow healthily and provide you with years of enjoyment.

Now you will learn what is important – practical and based on conviction for sustainable cultivation in our latitudes.

Sunny, but not merciless – the right light
Camellia sinensis loves bright light, but direct midday sun, as in midsummer, can be particularly damaging to young plants. A partially shaded to bright location with morning or late sun is ideal . In Asian tea gardens, mist or light shade from taller plants often protects the tea bushes – you can take advantage of this in your home garden, for example, by placing it near shrubs or a light-growing tree.

Tip for pot cultivation: Position your tea plant so that it receives at least 4–6 hours of light daily, but is shaded during the hottest times of the day. An east- or west-facing balcony is ideal. Only use south-facing balconies with shade!

Wind-protected and airy – the microclimate counts
An often underestimated factor is wind. While Camellia sinensis is quite robust, cold winds – especially in winter – can lead to drought stress. Therefore, choose a sheltered location, such as near a house wall or a hedge that serves as a windbreak. At the same time, the plant needs good air circulation to prevent fungal diseases.

On your balcony, you can create a protected microclimate with plant pots, privacy screens, or a mini greenhouse. Portable windbreaks made of wood or bamboo also help, especially in spring and fall.

Soil type: acidic, loose, humus
In nature, Camellia sinensis grows in acidic, nutrient-rich, and well-drained soils—usually on slopes rich in humus. In Germany, you often need to add some extra moisture to the soil. A pH between 4.5 and 5.5 is ideal. Regular garden soil is usually too calcareous.

Therefore, use our humic substrate, rhododendron soil, or mix your soil with sand, leaf compost, and some pine cones. Bark humus can also help lower the pH. Important: Avoid waterlogging at all costs! A permeable soil with a drainage layer is essential —especially in pots.

Location in winter: outdoors, but with protection
One of the most common questions: Does my tea plant need to be brought indoors in winter? The answer is: not necessarily – but it does need to be prepared. Camellia sinensis is generally frost-tolerant down to approximately -12°C, but only if it is gradually acclimated to the cold (the wood matures).

In the garden, a location with winter sun and some overhead protection is recommended—for example, under a canopy or next to a wall with a heat-storing effect. In very cold regions, winter protection such as fleece, mulch, and jute sacks is helpful.

The plant can stay outdoors in a pot, but should be moved to a sheltered location during severe frost—such as an unheated garage with light or a cold storage room. Make sure the root ball doesn't freeze through and the soil remains slightly moist.

Indoor location: Only with a cool rest period
If you don't have a garden and want to overwinter your tea plant indoors, you'll need a cool, bright wintering location—such as an unheated conservatory or a bright stairwell with temperatures between 5 and 10°C. If the wintering is too warm, the plant will continue to grow, but will become more susceptible to pests and lose vitality. Can it be kept on a windowsill year-round? Only with artificial light and controlled humidity is this not ideal.

In brief – location tips for your Growing Karma tea plant:

Light: Partial shade to sunny with protection from midday heat
Wind: Protected, but with air circulation
Soil: Acidic, humus, permeable – rhododendron soil or sandy compost
Water: Evenly moist, but no waterlogging
Winter: In the garden with protection, overwinter in a pot frost-free
Indoor: Only useful with a cold rest period
Summer: A partially shaded to light-flooded location is ideal

Expertise from German tea culture
Our plants are not mass-produced, but cultivated in our own permaculture systems. Our Camellia sinensis plants are selected for winter hardiness with appropriate treatment, grown from seed with their own stem roots, and perfectly adapted to German conditions. And the best part: You're part of this new movement that shows that real tea can also grow here – with patience, enthusiasm, and a good location.

So, give your tea plant a place that suits it – and it will thank you with aromatic leaves. You'll see: Harvesting your own tea is not only special, but also a part of a conscious lifestyle.