Cultivation & Care

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The Tea Terrace - a Swedish imitation of traditional Asian tea cultivation The Tea Terrace – a southwest-facing slope on the farm in Marieholm – began to be established in March this year, but the actual tea cultivation has been ongoing since 2023 when we planted our first specimens in Kävlinge. We still maintain the cultivation there, and with the establishment in Marieholm, we are now taking the next step towards a classic tea terrace.  Here we grow genuine tea, Camellia sinensis, from several different varieties originating from colder climates. These are varieties that have been recognized and developed for their particularly good hardiness, originally from mountainous regions in, among others, China, Georgia, and Switzerland. We have selected the varieties that are most hardy against both cold and drought, and that at the same time produce flavorful tea of high quality. We sell plants to customers who want to grow at home – and more and more people are discovering the possibility of actually growing their own tea in Sweden. For us, tea cultivation is an important part of the business, and this year we are especially looking forward to making our first real harvest. Right now we are growing, among other things: 'Georgian Classic' – robust and easy to cultivate, with a flavor that suits black, green, and white tea 'Kolkhida' – low and hardy, with small aromatic leaves suitable for black, green, and white tea; small-leafed varieties are often more hardy 'Kymin' – a Georgian variety linked to the Keemun tradition: a well-known Chinese black tea 'Longjing 43' – classic green tea variety from Zhejiang 'Tieguanyin' – is excellent for oolong or black tea 'Tearoma' – a Swiss variety developed specifically to be grown in Europe's colder regions We have cultivated 'Tearoma' since last year and this variety has shown good signs of hardiness over the winter. We have also cultivated a Dutch variety, 'Tea By Me', since last year and they also survived the winter but showed greater sensitivity, especially to wind. When the supplier of the latter also told us that they would shift from selling plants to fully focusing on producing their own teas down in the Netherlands, it was easy for us to look further.  It was then that we found the top 5 above varieties that are grown in northwestern France. They are grown by an established tea plantation – more advanced than any of our Swedish tea cultivation projects. They have many different varieties that they cultivate and propagate at their plantation since 2006. During the month of July, we expanded the tea terrace with an additional four planting rows of these varieties. Left: Kolkhida, Kymin, and Tearoma in ascending order. Right: Longjing 43, Georgian Classic, and Tearoma in ascending order. We have chosen to let a couple of rows remain uncultivated for the moment. Reserved for new types of tea bushes that we plan to introduce in the future. There are many exciting varieties under evaluation for cultivation in Nordic conditions. The tea terrace is not just a cultivation site, but also a living part of our inspiration, our learning, and a place for our conversations with customers and other stakeholders. The shape of a tea terrace is chosen to imitate the way tea is traditionally grown in large parts of Asia. The vision is that the tea terrace can become somewhat of an icon for what is possible to do with tea cultivation even in Sweden. Here we follow the development of the tea bushes, test, observe – and eventually, we will also be able to offer our own harvests. You are warmly welcome to visit us in Marieholm if you want to see the tea terrace on site – or check out the webshop to see our current tea plants. Why grow in terraces? There are many reasons why people grow in terraces. Originally, the idea probably comes from the fact that in the regions where tea is grown, a large part of the arable land consists of slopes. To make use of the area, rows are therefore created on the mountain slope to create a growing area that both retains water better, protects against erosion, and becomes easier to manage. The tea bushes' roots then help to hold the soil in place and counteract erosion in the long term.    The images above show the rolling mountain climate where teas are often grown. Left: Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Right: Tea-growing province Phongsali in northernmost Laos.  In addition to these basic reasons, there are also specific reasons why tea bushes thrive in terraces. Number one is that tea bushes like to have regular water but also that it drains quickly. By growing in terraces, you prevent the tea bush from "standing" in water as gravity carries the water away. Reason number two is wind protection. On a slope, the tea bushes are naturally protected from wind in more directions than they would be on flat ground. The biggest threat to tea bushes is intense winds, especially in winter.  The third reason is especially important for us who grow in colder climates and that is frost drought. If you manage to find a slope that protects from morning sun, that is, slopes west and protects from the east, your plants will largely be protected from frost drought. The risk of frost drought is greatest in the morning during late winter / early spring when the sun is strong enough to wake the leaves and let them evaporate moisture at the same time when the ground is frozen - which prevents the plant from absorbing moisture and leads to drying out. By preventing early morning sun from reaching the plant before the ground has warmed up, the risk of sudden drying out is reduced. Frost drought can, however, be prevented in other ways, for example by covering from above with e.g. jute fabric during early spring and covering the ground with wood chips, spruce twigs, straw, or similar. We carry out both these steps already in November to protect against the worst wind and cold during winter. The covering then remains until spring to also protect against frost drought. The image above shows the covering of our first tea plantation next to the Kävlinge River. The ground is covered with spruce branches and straw, the plants are covered with jute sacks. How do you create a terrace plantation? Find a suitable slope. Anything from 1 meter and up - it doesn't have to be grand! If it is high enough to protect from the wind and also faces so that it protects from the sun in the east, that's great. Clear the area if needed. Keep a crowbar and axe close at hand if you encounter stubborn excess roots from unwanted plants. Start hoeing. Use a wide hoe to bring out the rows from the slope. If your soil is porous and erosion-prone - drive in sticks and create embankments that hold the soil in place. I did this easily with branches from nearby willow trees that had just been pruned. From the branches, I made sticks that I drove down along the edge of the row. Then I tried to find and pair branches that had a curve matching the row’s curve, and then laid them out horizontally against the driven-in sticks to form an embankment that holds the soil in place. This step is not necessary if you have soil with good stability. Dig out the rows. After the rows are established, you can then use either a pointed hoe or a spade to dig out the soil in the rows. This is done to be able to fill the rows with the right soil which for tea bushes is a soil with a lower pH - such as rhododendron and blueberry soil. Fill the rows with rhododendron/blueberry soil. This type of soil suits the tea bush's requirement for acidic and loose soil. We have professional grower quality soil in the store if you drop by. Plant and fertilize your tea bushes. Plant the tea bushes with anywhere from 30 to 100 cm spacing depending on how dense you want your rows to be and how large you want to keep your tea bushes. The tea bushes (var. sinensis) can grow to around 2 meters tall, but you can also keep them shorter than that. If you want a tea terrace with 2-meter-high bushes, a planting distance of 100 cm is recommended as that is approximately the width a single tea bush reaches with age. We have planted our bushes very close, around 30 cm, partly out of pure impatience to create a dense and aesthetic terrace, but also with the thought that the tea bushes might grow somewhat slower in our climate and that there is a chance they won't get quite as large. When planting, we mix in about half a deciliter of Rhodogödsel per plant to give the plants a really good start. A terrace cultivation can of course be established for other types of plants than tea bushes. Just replace the soil and fertilizer in steps 5 and 6 to suit your specific plant choice. :) Below are some pictures showing the process from start to the finished terrace:       Interested in making your own tea terrace? Get in touch if you have any questions about the process or choice of tea bushes. :) Thanks for reading so far! See you in the next post...

The first snow has fallen and has settled like a blanket over both plants and greenhouses. The only things we have had to pick for their frost-free winter nest in the barn are Yerba Mate and Natal Plum, which are normally hardy to -1 and -5 degrees respectively. Last night it was -10 degrees here in Marieholm. Yerba Mate and some tea bushes to decorate our new box with various original ready-made teas. A wild strawberry tree was also included as it shares a pot with the Natal plum. The rest that we have in stock now should be able to survive outside all winter. Examples of plants with what can be considered surprisingly good hardiness and we leave outside are: Tea bushes of the varieties 'Tea by Me' and 'Tearoma' Yuzu Pineapple guava Tasmanian Rock Pepper 'Sweetleaf' Other plants whose hardiness is not as surprising to many but still worth mentioning are: Asimina Black bamboo Yaupon Kiwi 'Jenny' & Minikiwi Things that may need to be picked up if the temperature drops below -15 degrees are Pineapple Guava but also Yuzu and Wild Strawberry trees. However, we will experiment a bit this year and leave individual specimens outside all winter to test their hardiness. We will also cover some of the plants in various ways with jute fabric, sheep wool rugs, etc.

Extend the growing season - grow year-round 🌱🍂 Whether you want to grow in soil or hydroponically, you can move your plants in & start new seeds to continue growing even when the cold starts to creep in. With the help of grow lights, it is possible to move a lot of things inside and continue growing them indoors over the winter - and then move them outside again in the spring when the heat returns. If you also want a compact and flexible system, a hydroponic growing kit is something to consider. You avoid the mess of soil indoors while having something green close at hand all year round. Nelson Garden has a ready-made set for those who want to start with hydroponic cultivation. The set contains: White box with white lid for 3 plants Plant lighting with adapter Hanger with suction cups for plant lighting 6 pre-seeded growing plugs (3 x lettuce, 3 x basil) 3 plug baskets 250 ml special nutrition Watch the video below to see how to get started in just 10 minutes. For continued cultivation during autumn and winter, see relevant products via the link below. Tools – Indoor growing

It's getting time for coverage. Autumn is here and protection against autumn frost for more sensitive plants is starting to become a concern. It is also good to be well prepared for winter to allow your plants to harden off from the cold at a leisurely pace. Plants planted in a growing zone above their recommended growing zone can often be overwintered outside with the help of winter cover. By covering the ground around a plant with, for example, sheep wool rug - or the trunk itself, and the crown with jute cloth or nonwoven fabric can protect plants from the worst cold during winter and also early autumn frosts & late spring frosts. Plants such as Yuzu or Tasmanian Rock Pepper are examples of plants that may need to be winter-covered if you want to try keeping them outside over the winter in the warmest parts of the country. All plants that are grown a little on the border in terms of growing zones can feel safe to winter-cover. The tea bush , like many other evergreen plants, may need covering in the spring to protect against frostbite caused by the early, strong spring sun. You can also wrap a tarp around pots to protect the plant's roots from the cold. Different covering materials: The sheep wool rug is thick & heat insulating and is best suited for covering ground and trunk. Jute cloth is a durable material that protects well against cold and is suitable for most purposes: good for covering both the crown, trunk and larger areas wrapped around sticks or arches in a pallet collar. Good protection against frost during the spring. Nonwoven fabric is a slightly less durable material and not as insulating against cold as the previous one, but is well suited for covering to extend the growing season or to protect against frost damage. Easy to thread over a pallet collar or around a couple of sticks. There is jute bags & non-woven hoods which are easy to thread over a pair of set pegs, pallet collar arches or a crown. See all our coverage products here .