Tea Farming

Why 6 months? Because that is one real production cycle for tea farming. You study each month's material while your own operation (or your planning) goes through exactly that stage. By graduation you have either harvested/sold your first production or hold a complete, costed plan ready for funding.

Structure: 6 monthly modules → lessons → practical assignments → a 10-question quiz each month → final business project.

How to study (hybrid): Online — work through each month on your phone, log sessions in the Study Diary, ask the rAs AI assistant anything. Offline — save this page and do the practicals in the real world.

• Camellia sinensis: the only plant for true tea (black, green, white)
• Climate: 15–25°C; 1,500–3,000mm rainfall annually
• Altitude: 600–2,200m (higher = slower growth = finer flavour)
• Soil: acidic, well-drained, pH 4.5–6.5
• Two main cultivars: China type (wiry, fine) and Assam type (robust)
• Calculate: 1 hectare holds 8,000–10,000 tea bushes

• Cuttings: semi-hardwood from mother bushes (faster than seed)
• Nursery bed: 12–18 months before field planting
• Shade cloth (70%) and misting for rooting success
• Seed: slower, but genetic diversity; stratification helps
• Hardening: reduce shade and water 6 weeks before planting
• Calculate: nursery loss 20–30%; need 10,000+ cuttings for 1 hectare

• Contour terracing: on slopes to prevent erosion
• Shade: 30–40% (coffee, banana, or native trees)
• Soil: add compost, manure, acidify if pH > 6.5 (sulfur)
• Drainage: raised beds in wet areas
• Mulch: tea prunings, leaf litter (10cm depth)
• Calculate: shade tree setup $100–200/hectare

• Spacing: 1m × 1.5m or 1m × 1.2m (closer = more picks)
• Plant in rainy season; keep moist first 6 months
• Canopy formation: pick light shoots to build bushy shape
• Weeding: critical first 2 years (block nitrogen)
• Shade reduction: gradual, as tea establishes
• Calculate: tea bushes produce after 3–4 years

• Leaf rust: copper fungicide (organic); sulfur (conventional)
• Grey blight: fungal; sanitation + pruning
• Tea mosquito bug: small insect causing shoot damage
• Spider mites: on dry, hot foliage (spray water, neem)
• Blister blight: wet season fungus; improve air flow
• Calculate: pests/disease = 5–20% yield loss if unmanaged

• Plucking: two leaves + bud (flush); every 7–14 days
• First flush (spring): most prized; second/third flush weaker
• Withering: tea leaves lose 65% water (2–4 hours)
• Rolling: shape and oxidise (black tea) or prevent oxidation (green)
• Fermentation/oxidation: 1–3 hours (black tea flavour)
• Drying: final 2–3% moisture; preserve quality

• Grade: leaf size (whole, broken, fannings, dust)
• Orthodox (traditional): grades by leaf appearance
• CTC (crush, tear, curl): faster, dusty, high volume
• Sales: local buyers, exporters, estate branding, direct tea company
• Certification: organic (premium), Fairtrade, direct trade
• Calculate: 1 hectare mature = 2,000–3,000kg fresh leaf/year = 400–600kg dry tea

• Leaf-to-stem ratio: maintain balance (overpicking depletes)
• Pruning cycle: every 3–4 years rejuvenate canopy
• Composting tea waste: improve soil nitrogen
• Water retention: mulch + shade reduce irrigation needs
• Blending & branding: create signature tea (terroir)
• Calculate: mature 1-hectare farm = $5,000–10,000/year revenue

• Your national Department of Agriculture — technical guidance, regulations
• rAs AI Assistant — ask about anything in the course; available 24/7
• Local farmer groups (if available) — peer learning, market connections