After tea picking, it is natural to avoid the problem of pruning tea trees. Today, let’s understand why tea tree pruning is necessary and how to prune it?

1. Physiological basis of tea tree pruning

Tea trees have the characteristic of apical growth advantage. The apical growth of the main stem is fast, while the lateral buds grow slowly or remain dormant. The apical advantage prevents lateral bud germination or inhibits the growth of lateral branches. By pruning to remove the top advantage, the inhibitory effect of the top bud on the lateral buds can be removed. Tea tree pruning can reduce the developmental age of tea trees, thereby restoring their growth and vitality. In terms of tea tree growth, pruning breaks the physiological balance between above-ground and underground parts, playing a role in strengthening above-ground growth. At the same time, the vigorous growth of the tree crown forms more assimilation products, and the root system can also obtain more nutrients, promoting further growth of the root system.

In addition, pruning has a significant effect on changing the carbon nitrogen ratio and promoting nutrient growth. The tender leaves of tea trees have a higher nitrogen content, while the old leaves have a higher carbon content. If the top branches are not pruned for a long time, the branches will age, carbohydrates will increase, nitrogen content will decrease, carbon to nitrogen ratio will be high, nutrient growth will decline, and flowers and fruits will increase. Pruning can reduce the growth point of tea trees, and the water and nutrient supply absorbed by the roots will relatively increase. After cutting off some branches, the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the new branches will be small, which will relatively strengthen the nutritional growth of the above-ground parts.

2. The period of tea tree pruning

Pruning tea trees before they sprout in spring is the period with the least impact on the tree body. During this period, there is sufficient storage material in the roots, and it is also a time when the temperature gradually rises, rainfall is abundant, and the growth of tea trees is more suitable. At the same time, spring is the beginning of the annual growth cycle, and pruning allows new shoots to have a longer period of time to fully develop.

The selection of pruning period also needs to be determined by the climate conditions in different regions. In areas with high temperatures throughout the year, pruning can be carried out at the end of the tea season; In tea areas and high-altitude tea areas where there is a threat of freezing damage in winter, spring pruning should be postponed. But there are also some areas that use reducing the height of the tree crown to improve cold resistance in order to prevent the surface branches of the tree crown from freezing. This pruning is best done in late autumn; Tea areas with dry and rainy seasons should not be pruned before the arrival of the dry season, otherwise it will be difficult to sprout after pruning.

3. Tea tree pruning methods

The pruning of mature tea trees is carried out on the basis of fixed pruning, mainly using a combination of light pruning and deep pruning to maintain vigorous growth and neat crown picking surface of the tea tree, with more and stronger sprouting, in order to maintain the advantage of sustained high yield.

Light pruning: Generally, light pruning is carried out once a year on the tea tree crown harvesting surface, with a height increase of 3-5 cm from the previous pruning. If the crown is neat and vigorous, pruning can be done once every other year. The purpose of light pruning is to maintain a neat and strong germination foundation on the tea tree picking surface, promote nutrient growth, and reduce flowering and fruiting. Generally, after picking spring tea, light pruning is carried out immediately, cutting off the spring shoots of the previous year and some autumn shoots from the previous year.

Deep pruning: After years of picking and light pruning, many small and knotty branches grow on the crown surface of the tree. Due to its numerous nodules, which hinder nutrient delivery, the sprouts and leaves produced are thin and small, with more leaves sandwiched between them, which can reduce yield and quality. Therefore, every few years, when the tea tree experiences the above situation, deep pruning must be carried out, cutting off a layer of chicken feet branches 10-15 cm deep above the crown to restore the tree’s vigor and improve its sprouting ability. After one deep pruning, continue with a few young prunings. If chicken feet branches appear again in the future, causing a decrease in yield, another deep pruning can be performed. This repeated alternation can maintain a vigorous growth momentum of tea trees and sustain high yields. Deep pruning usually occurs before spring tea sprouts.

Both light and deep pruning tools are used with a hedge trimmer, with a sharp blade and a flat cut to avoid cutting through branches and affecting wound healing as much as possible.

4.The coordination between tea tree pruning and other measures

(1) It should be closely coordinated with fertilizer and water management. Deep application of organic fertilizer and phosphorus potassium fertilizer before pruning, and timely application of topdressing when new shoots sprout after pruning can promote the vigorous and rapid growth of new shoots, fully exerting the expected effect of pruning;

(2) It should be combined with harvesting and preservation. Due to deep pruning, the area of tea leaves is reduced, and the photosynthetic surface is reduced. The production branches below the pruning surface are generally sparse and cannot form the picking surface. Therefore, it is necessary to retain and increase the thickness of the branches, and on this basis, sprout secondary growth branches, and cultivate the picking surface again through pruning; (3) It should be coordinated with pest control measures. It is necessary to promptly inspect and control tea aphids, tea geometers, tea moths, and tea leafhoppers that harm tender shoots. The branches and leaves left behind during the renewal and rejuvenation of aging tea trees should be promptly removed from the garden for treatment, and the ground around tree stumps and tea bushes should be thoroughly sprayed with pesticides to eliminate the breeding base of diseases and pests.