On Sep 12, 12:15 am, wrote:
> On Sep 11, 10:37 pm, Alex > wrote:
> > I am finding all this incredibly interesting, although much more from
> > a hobby-growing perspective than out of commercial possibility. Nigel
> > (or anyone else) - do you know what kind of winter temperatures tea
> > can tolerate?
>
> All I know is that up in Darjeeling it can get pretty cold in January,
> with temperatures down to ~--5°C [20F?]. The bushes seem to be OK with
> it, even the old, "original" ones ["China" bushes], some of them more
> than 100 years of age.°

I have grown mature China type tea (ex seed and clonal) with winter
temperatures dipping at night down to -5°C [= 23°F] and even last year
in one place to 18°F, though young plants of some clones were killed
at this level. Really cold (freezing) weather kills plants by freezing
sap under the bark of the mature wood and causing the bark to peel
off. Assamica type plants (ex seed or clonal) are intolerent of any
cold (truly tropical), keeling over below 3-4°C [38°F]. All tea
ceases active growth and becomes dormant below an average night time
temperature of around 50°F moving storage synthate down to the
roots.

A scientist named John Vendeland was actively selecting tea bushes for
cold tolerence on a farm up in Oregon ten years ago and had a hand in
planting bushes these near Seattle. I have not heard from him for a
few years (John, if you are lurking on r.f.d.t please get in touch).

Nigel at Teacraft