Ideal Soil Types for Tea

Range of Soil Types: Effect Upon Tea Growth

Tea is grown on a markedly wide range of soil types. Some of the best tea in the world is found in the Brahmaputra valley which has alluvium soils and on the soils formed from sandstone wash in the north bank.

The infamous Brahmaputra river valley and the Assam region; producer of some of the finest tasting teas in the world. Image from Google Maps.

Contemporary alluviums are unsuitable for tea growth. Alluvial deposits are also found in the Douras district of North east India, and in Malawi.

Soil Type of Tea Growing Regions

Many good tea growing regions are located in old sedentary soils derived from archaic rocks such as those found in darjeeling, Sri lanka and tanzania, or granites in Zimbabwe and Japan. The tea soils of Indonesia and kenya are originally derived from Volcanic rocks.

Photograph of a tea picker and plantation in Indonesia by bobby-james.

The Surma Valley in India has two different soil types that are intermingled into one area. These soils known as teelah soils are derived from sandstone and black swamp soils, known as bheel. these soils are extremely rich in organic matter and have a water table that is very close to the surface.