Cultivation of Organic Tea in Missouri, With Focus On Low-Cost Overwintering Methods

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: greenhouses

Tea (camellia sinensis) is a tree crop cultivated at commercial scale almost-exclusively in tropical and subtropical climates, as it is damaged by hard freezes and more-profitable when it may be harvested year-round. In cultivation, the tree is pruned to a height of four to six feet and a proportionate diameter for ease of harvesting, such that many trees can be grown in tight rows when planted in the ground. This standard size is similar to what might be achieved by growing tea plants in large containers, which could be arranged as necessary during overwintering, in order to grow tea in a temperate climate. Scott's Baked Goods, of Columbia, Missouri, proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of this by cultivating and overwintering tea plants in containers. These plants will be added to the existing year-round urban agricultural area, under the scope of the company organic certification, the cost of the experiment arising principally from the expansion of the existing overwintering space; the proving of low-cost, low-impact overwintering methods; and the demonstration, to others, of the profitability of tea cultivation as a local prospect.

- Meet the project's increasingly-critical need for an inexpensive, ecologically-sound, high-drainage potting medium by producing, crushing and sifting biochar on the scale of hundreds of gallons. Improve the efficiency of the method in use with powered sifting, and by refining the use of the barrel kiln.

- Fully-develop current methods of pH correction and nutrient charging of biochar for agricultural use. Prepare coarse product by treatment in a fluidized-bed bioreactor, for use in potting media; and prepare final product by aerobic composting.

- Demonstrate grow-out of camellia sinensis plants through several transplantings, up to industry-standard volume.

- Continue to optimize seasonal overwintering shelter using minimal electric mains power.

- Instruct interested parties, especially fellow vendors from Columbia Farmers’ Market, in the methods used, with emphasis on business ventures associated with that venue.