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Home > Guides > Packs > Herbal Tea Garden |
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How to Grow Herbal Teas | Guide to Growing an Herbal Tea Garden |
Starting Soil Treatment Transplanting |
Generally, 'tea' refers to the infusion of leaves or flowers into hot water to produce a flavorful, and often medicinal, beverage. Unlike decoctions, which require greater energy to activate the latent qualities of roots or other dense and fibrous parts of the plant, infusions take less time to make and are generated from the parts of the plant that can be cultivated repeatedly in a single growing season.
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Guide to Growing Anise |
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Guide to Growing Anise Hyssop |
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Guide to Growing Holy Basil |
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Anise is most commonly used as a flavor in sweets and confections |
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Anise hyssop makes a delightful addition to mixed herbal teas and a fine tea all to itself. |
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Holy Basil is believed to
help bring purity and
serenity to
the heart and mind. |
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Guide to Growing Bergamot |
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Guide to Growing Catnip |
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Guide to Growing Chamomile |
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The fresh or dried leaves are brewed into a refreshing aromatic and medicinal tea. |
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Catnip is valued for its healing properties. The aromatic herb is a member of the mint family. |
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The anti-inflammatory
properties make it good for rheumatism, arthritis, and
other painful swellings. |
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Growing Chrysanthemum |
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Guide to Growing Echinacea |
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Guide to Growing Hibiscus |
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This tea is rich in range of vitamins from iron, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and potassium and more. |
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Echinacea has been used for more than 400 years to treat infections, wounds, & a general cure-all. |
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Hibiscus has a sweet, aromatic flavor and high levels of vitamin C & antioxidants. |
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Guide to Growing Lavender |
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Guide to Growing Lemon Balm |
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Guide to Growing Lemon Grass |
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Lavender is prized worldwide for the gentle and soothing therapeutic properties. |
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A truly delightful tea made from the dried leaves stimulates the heart &
calms the nerves. |
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Lemon Grass is most commonly added to curries, soups broths or as a tea. |
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Guide to Growing Licorice |
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Guide to Growing Mint |
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Guide to Growing Mulberry |
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Marsh Mallow is said to be anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound-healing. |
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Mint makes an excellent
tea, & adds flavor to many foods. It is also very good
for
digestive problems. |
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The tea has the ability to
block the absorption of sugars, which makes it healthy for diabetics. |
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Guide to Growing Rose |
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Guide to Growing Tea |
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Guide to Growing Wintergreen |
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Rose hips have a tangy, fruity flavor similar to that of cranberries. |
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The original tea plant,
whose leaves account for
the myriad varieties of green, white & black teas. |
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Wintergreen tea was the
tea
of choice during the
American Revolution. |
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Some tips on herbs for tea:
Requirements
Be aware of Specific Growing Requirements and Plan Accordingly. Some common types of plants cultivated for tea, including Hibiscus and Camellia sinensis are native to tropical or subtropical regions. This does not mean that they cannot be grown in cooler climates, just that they will likely require additional care and attention. Greenhouse space, or careful overwintering, along with consideration of special soil or moisture needs will likely be necessary to grow warm climate perennials in cooler locations.
Special Cases
Of the herbs offered in our Tea Garden Pack, Licorice is the only one cultivated for its root, which is prepared as a decoction by adding throughoughly dried and chopped licorice root to cold water and slowly heating to prepare the flavorful beverage. Additionally, while many of the herbs in our pack are small annual plants quick to harvest, other are climbing bushes (Dog Rose) or even small to medium size trees (Mulberry) which may require two or more years of growth to harvest.
Starting Herb Seeds
Herb seeds, and many of those grown for tea, require considerably more care and patience than other types of seeds. We recommend starting herbs indoors in flats or small containers some weeks prior to the final frost of spring to make best use of sometimes rare and often expensive seeds. When sowing, use between 1-3 seeds per hole unless seeds are prone to low germination rates. Too many starts growing together can be difficult to separate later and both may show impaired development. If you do have 2 or more starts growing in close together, thin down to one and replant (or comsume) extra sprouts. After sowing cover flat (or container) with clear plastic lid or plastic wrap to retain moisture until seeds have started to germinate and poke through the soil-medium.
Transplanting your Herbs
Transplant outdoors once the average date of the final frost of the spring has passed. Most starts will be ready for transplanting with the appearance of their first (or second) set of true leaves, not to be confused with cotyledons, the first leaf-like structures to appear. If starting in flats or shallow containers, do not wait too long to transplant as the roots can become stifled in the bottom of your container and inhibit development and growth later on.
For best results, gradually 'harden' plants for outdoor transplanting by exposing in increasing amounts of sunlight and outdoor conditions, but do not leave containers outdoors overnight if concerned about spring freeze. Try to transplant on a cloudy overcast day to minimize the possibility of immediate shock from sunlight and heat.
Harvesting
Many leaves can be harvested anytime during the growing season once the plant has become stable in its transplanted location, and reached a height of 6-8" or more. In some cases, the leaves will have better flavor if cultivated before the plant has started to flower and is putting more energy into its blossoms. If collecting leaves and flowers together, cultivate just as the flower is maturing and before it begins going to seed. For best flavor, collect leaves and flowers in the morning just as the dew has mostly dissipated but before the heat and intensity of the midday sun can set in.
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