Rooibos tea is harvested annually by hand during the summer months.
Harvesting rooibos tea is a manual process that takes place during the warm summer season. This is when the bushy plant is ready for collection to produce the popular beverage.
The Rooibos Harvesting Process
Based on the traditional method, the steps for harvesting rooibos are straightforward and reliant on manual labor:
Timing and Method
- The harvest occurs annually by hand during summer, specifically from December to February. This ensures the plant is at the optimal stage for processing.
- The branches of the bushy rooibos plant are cut using sickles. This tool allows for efficient cutting of the woody stems.
Bundling and Transport
- After cutting, the branches are neatly bound into bundles. These bundles typically weigh between 10 and 15 kg. In Afrikaans, these bundles are known as "gerwe".
- Once bundled, the gerwe are then transported. Their destination is the cutting and processing facilities, as well as the tea-drying court, where they undergo further transformation into the final tea product.
This manual process, timing, and specific method of bundling are key steps in preparing the rooibos plant for the subsequent stages of tea production, such as oxidation and drying.
