Tea Plants and Tee Trees

I am going to start my first garden sometime next year.  I plan on having a vegetable garden, but I would also like a tea garden.  I love tea and would like to grow my own plants.  Can I still use the same methods and mixes for tea plants and trees?  Or is it completely different? Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the forum from Ohio!  Since tea plants are a long-term process, and since you are in the zone where they grow year-round, you would probably want them in the ground instead of containers or raised beds. Tea plants need acidic soil, which Mel's Mix would not be.  I did a quick search on planting tea plants, and found this site with lots of information on them:

https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/products/camellia-sinensis-tea-plant

The site includes these instructions:

Planting directions (in ground):
1) An acidic soil is best for the tea plant and using soil meant for rhododendrons will help maintain a happy tea plant.
2) Make your hole twice the size of the root ball and just as deep.
3) The rhododendron soil is ideal for the back filling of the hole which will introduce some acidity for the tea plant.
4) Spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the bush to help retain moisture while simultaneously combating competing weeds from growing.

Wow!  that sounds really cool, welcome!  I know nothing about this, but OG gets info!  Glad you’re here !

Thank you so much for this information!! Really appreciate it! I didn't think about the acidic soil, so I need more research on this. Thank you again!!