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You should wait at least until plants are established and sufficient leaves before trying to harvest tea leaves for the first time. Also Removing too many leaves at once on small plants may result in damage or death to your plants. Plants use photosynthesis to grow healthy and their leaves are an important part of that health. Plants should be at least 3-4' and have sufficient growth in order to start harvesting tea leaves.

GREEN TEA

1. Tender young growth is picked by hand from Camellia sinensis. Young shoots with 2 - 3 leaves are recommended. Any surface water on the leaves and shoots is allowed to dry in the shade for up to a few hours.

2. In preparing green tea, the oxidizing enzymes are killed by steaming the freshly plucked leaf in a vegetable steamer on your stove for less than one minute, or by roasting in a hot pan ( cast-iron skillet ) for a few minutes. This process is called "sha qing" (killing out) in Chinese.

3. The leaves are finally dried in an oven set at 250° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. This step is necessary to remove any moisture in the leaf so it won't mold and it stops any fermentation.

4. You may add dried Jasmine, dried blackberry leaf or other fine tasting leaf teas to this tea to give it a fruity flavor.

OOLONG TEA

1. The freshly plucked shoots from Camellia sinensis are spread out thinly over a table on a mat or a towel. The shoots are wilted under the sun for 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the temperature.

2. The leaves are then taken indoors, where they are left to wither at room temperature for a 4-5 hours. During this period the leaves are gently agitated by hand every hour. This process causes the edge of the leaf to turn red, and the moisture content drops about 20%. These controlled actions cause the biochemical reactions and enzymatic processes in the leaf, which in turn produce the unique aroma and colors found in oolong teas.

3. After withering, the leaves are then dried in an oven set at 250 ° Fahrenheit for 15 - 20 minutes. This stops the enzymatic process.

BLACK TEA

1. Tender young growth is picked by hand from Camellia sinensis. Young shoots with 2 - 3 leaves are recommended. Any surface water on the leaves and shoots is allowed to dry on racks for 10 to 20 hours and its purpose is to bring down the internal moisture of the leaf to somewhere between 60% and 70% of the original moisture.

2. The leaves are bruised to allow the fermentation process to begin. Several shoots are rolled between your hands or crushed until the leaves darken and become crinkled. This process is repeated until all the leaves are bruised till they turn a bright copper penny color.

3. The leaves are allowed to ferment by placing thin layers of leaves on a tray in a shady location. After 2-3 days the leaves are ready for drying.

4. The leaves are dried in an oven set at 250° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. This step is necessary to remove all the water in the leaves and to stop the fermentation process. It also seals in the flavor. Now the tea is ready to use or store in an airtight container.