“Tea Cultivation requires a moderately hot and humid climate. Climate influences yield, crop distribution and quality. Therefore, before cultivating tea in a new area, the suitability of the climate is the first point to be considered. Tea grows best on well-drained fertile acid soil on high lands.”
Tea grows best in misty, rainy regions at altitudes of 2,000 to 7,000 feet in the tropics and lower elevations in temperate regions. The best tea is produced in regions that have dry days and cool nights.
Tea requires year-round maintenance. Every one to five years the plants are trimmed from waist to knee height to keep them from growing into trees and prevent the branches from extending too far sideways. Seasonal pickings keep the bushes trimmed like a hedge.