Tea Plants!!

You can do a ph test with special strips that show the acidity range dependant upon the colour the strip changes to. It is a more reliable method I think and using a good brand name ericaceous compost mix will ensure a good growing medium,
Jenny

 

I've ordered the ericaceous fertiliser, and i'll make sure that they're drained well and do a real pH test later today, thanks again!

 

pH meters, of the cheap & cheerful type, don't have a good reputation. a pH meter needs to be capable of calibration, and come with some control solutions, of known pH, that the meter can be calibrated against.

I think that testing potting compost, as distinct from soil, can cause test results to be wrong too. Otherwise I would suggest just getting one of the cheap test tube kits from the garden centre. Their results are generally reliable, the only tricky bit is that you have to gauge the colour, against a colour chart, from what is basically a muddy solution!

If you used Ericaceous compost in the first place I doubt that pH is a problem (the supplier may have messed-up of course, but hopefully that is very unlikely)

 

Your cold frame looks all closed up?
Lack of air movement will increase the chance of some sort of fungal infection (or similar) which is what the brown spots could be.
Open up the lid and get some air movement.

As has been said above, if you are using ericaceous compost, I wouldn't worry too much about the ph.
What is the source of the water you are watering with?
Tap water that could be hard? Maybe switch to rain water.

 

Hey Guys! Sorry I haven't been replying recently, I've been crazy busy. My fertiliser arrived and I've just applied it to the plants. I think I've spotted some blackfly (see pictures) which I've treated one plant for (pesticide). Otherwise I think the brown spots now can be attributed to either a lack of nutrients or bad pH, because it appears to be occurring on all new growth (which there is a pleasing amount of) and so hopefully the additive will fix this. To reply to some points raised, there are only being watered with rain water, so I don't think that's an issue, and I'm stuck between closing the coal frame for a humid environment, or opening it in an attempt to rid my plants of the mysterious brown stuff. Also on a final note, a leaf on the larger plant (new growth) appeared to be covered in thin white hairs, anyone know if this is normal?

 

The white hairs are quite normal. Wikipedia says The name "white tea" derives from the fine silvery-white hairs on the unopened buds of the tea plant, which gives the plant a whitish appearance.[2] The beverage itself is not white or colourless but pale yellow

Have a look here at some info about brown spots on tea leaves. http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-33.pdf

 

Hello to everyone watching this, It's been almost two months and I thought I'd give you all a little update, the plants seem to be doing well, just over a week ago there was plenty of encouraging new growth, unfortunately then I flew off to the black sea, and today I got back and they're infested with black fly again, so I've treated them with pesticide and I'll see if it works out. Overall though things are looking good for a few tiny cups of tea next spring!

 

They look dark green to me so I dont think the ph is a problem, but I do doubt you will get enough young leaf tips off them next spring for even one cup of char let alone a full pot.

Might need to wait a few years.

 

Thanks Pete, I think I agree with you, but I guess we'll wait and see, maybe I'll get enough for a little teaser of what is to come, and it's also possible I could blend it will a little assam to bulk it out, I know that's what Tregothnan estate do.