I just received 2 new Tea plants. My husband is an avid tea drinker(aussie) so I don't want to spray or treat these plants with any toxic medium since I will be making tea from the leaves. The information which came with the plants do not specify what to use but suggest an oil spray to prevent fungus. Aphids are also a potential problem What would be safe for me to use and also not effect the taste...Garrett Juice? HELP!

Liquid seaweed is a great tool for foliar feeding. Be sure not to do this in the heat of the day and do get the undersides of leaves. Garlic pepper tea will ward off most problematic critters. I do not know how well a tea plant will do here in Texas, but good luck to you! Let us know how it grows!

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Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

For the fungus, use the cornmeal juice on the plant & whole-ground or horticultural cornmeal in the soil around the plants. For Aphids, keep Lady Bugs around your yard. Garlic/Pepper spray can affect the taste of your plants. Garrett Juice is good to use but the main preventative is to keep the plant healthy. If you need to kill bugs, Neem will do the job & also controls fungus. Search this forum & the home page search for much more info.

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The "soap" you use is normally chemicals, etc. Use real SOAP !!