Tea tree pruning

Tea tree management refers to a series of cultivation and management measures for tea trees, including pruning, mechanized tree body management, and water and fertilizer management in tea gardens, aimed at improving tea yield and quality and maximizing tea garden benefits.

Pruning of tea tree

During the growth process of tea trees, they have obvious top advantages. Pruning can adjust nutrient distribution, optimize tree structure, increase branching density, and thus improve the quality and yield of tea.

However, the pruning of tea trees is not fixed. It is necessary to flexibly choose pruning methods and timing according to the variety, growth stage, and specific cultivation environment of tea trees, determine pruning depth and frequency, ensure good growth of tea trees, promote new shoot growth, and improve tea quality and yield.

Moderate pruning

Moderate tea pruning should be carried out based on the growth characteristics and standards of tea leaves to maintain reasonable gaps between tea trees and promote their healthy growth.

After shaping and pruning, young tea trees can effectively control excessive growth at the top of the tea tree, promote lateral branch growth, increase tree width, and help achieve early maturity and high yield.

For mature tea trees harvested multiple times, the crown surface is uneven. In order to improve the quality of buds and leaves, light pruning is used to remove 3-5 cm of green leaves and uneven branches on the crown surface, in order to promote the germination of new shoots.

Light pruning and deep pruning of young and middle-aged tea trees can remove the “chicken claw branches”, make the crown surface of the tea tree flat, expand the tree width, inhibit reproductive growth, promote nutritional growth of the tea tree, enhance the sprouting ability of the tea tree, and thus increase yield. Usually, deep pruning is carried out every 3-5 years, using a pruning machine to remove 10-15 cm of branches and leaves at the top of the tree crown. The pruned tree crown surface is curved to enhance the sprouting ability of the branches.

For aging tea trees, pruning can be carried out to completely transform the tree crown structure. The cutting height of the tea tree is generally located 8-10 cm above the ground, and it is necessary to ensure that the cutting edge is inclined and smooth in order to promote the germination of latent buds at the roots of the tea tree.

Proper maintenance

After pruning, the nutrient consumption of tea trees will significantly increase. When tea trees lack sufficient nutritional support, even pruning them will only consume more nutrients, thereby accelerating their decline process.

After pruning in the tea garden in autumn, organic fertilizer and phosphorus potassium fertilizer can be applied in combination with deep plowing between rows in the tea garden. Generally speaking, for every 667 square meters of mature tea gardens, an additional 1500 kg or more of organic fertilizer needs to be applied, combined with 40-60 kg of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, to ensure that the tea trees can fully recover and grow healthily. Fertilization should be carried out based on the actual growth status of tea trees, paying attention to the balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium elements, and utilizing the role of fertilizers to enable pruned tea trees to recover production faster.

For tea trees that have undergone standardized pruning, the principle of “keeping more and harvesting less” should be adopted, with cultivation as the main focus and harvesting as a supplement; After deep pruning, adult tea trees should retain some branches according to the specific degree of pruning, and strengthen the branches through retention. On this basis, prune the secondary branches that will grow later to cultivate new picking surfaces. Usually, tea trees that have been deeply pruned need to be kept for 1-2 seasons before entering the light harvesting stage and being put back into production. Neglecting maintenance work or excessive harvesting after pruning may lead to premature decline in tea tree growth.

After pruning tea trees, the wounds are susceptible to invasion by bacteria and pests. At the same time, the pruned new shoots maintain good tenderness and vigorous branches and leaves, providing a favorable environment for the growth of pests and diseases. Therefore, timely pest control is essential after tea tree pruning.

For tea trees that have been pruned or pruned, especially large leaf varieties cultivated in the south, it is advisable to spray Bordeaux mixture or fungicides on the cutting edge to avoid wound infection. For tea trees in the regeneration stage of new shoots, timely prevention and control of pests and diseases such as aphids, tea leafhoppers, tea geometrids, and tea rust on the new shoots are necessary to ensure the normal growth of new shoots.