Ethereal Tea Fields

Mist in the Darjeeling hills

"Ethereal" is the best word I could find to describe the experience of the tea fields at Glenburn Tea Estate.  The day was damp but pleasant.  The low clouds flirted with the landscapes; there for one moment then gone, to return just as soon. 


Each of the ~60 fields here has its own character. Each field produces a unique cup of tea, based on its elevation, age, the plant varietal, when the tea is harvested, amount of sun and rain, nutrients in the soil, etc.  Even within one field there are micro climates.  All of these factors must be accounted for when making the tea in the factory.

Tea plants grow on steep slopes

Glenburn produces tea from four harvesting seasons:

• First flush: March/April
• Second flush:  May/June
• Monsoon flush: Mid July - Mid October; this is what we were drinking
• Autumnal - November

There is a rest period between each flush, to allow the plant to restore the starch content in the roots.

Tea stumps and roots from bushes that have been removed

Glenburn removes a small percentage of its tea plants each year.  These fields are left fallow for few years, planted with legumes to restore nitrogen.  To balance the monoculture of tea growing, other compatible plants (marigolds, citronella, etc.) and insects (lady bugs, preying mantis) are introduced to the fields.  Tea plants need slightly acidic soil, between 4.5 and 5.5 pH in this area. 

Baby tea plants, grown from the Glenburn nursery

Traditionally, tea plants were germinated from seed in a moist sand/soil mixture.  In fact, the infamous Robert Fortune perfected the use of the Wardian Case, like a terrarium, to smuggle tea plants out of China. Today, however, most tea plants are made from slips, or cuttings, like you might do with a philodendron at home.  The slips ensure an identical genetic match to the parent, whereas tea seeds may be a hybrid - and that could be good or bad!



Next up, a look at the tea factory and then a picnic lunch by the river.