Planting Methods and Key Techniques for the Tea-Oil Tree

The tea-oil tree, also known as the oil tea camellia, is a type of tea plant whose seeds can be pressed for oil. In recent years its cultivation has become quite popular, and it is grown in many regions. So what are the planting methods for the tea-oil tree?

1. Select improved varieties

Choose seeds according to the local climate and soil conditions, and at the same time select improved varieties certified by the relevant national authorities, with large fruit but thin skin, a high oil yield and strong resistance. Secondly, oil tea cultivation generally uses seedling cuttings or grafting, so when selecting seedlings, choose relatively sturdy ones free of disease, as only then will the survival rate and subsequent yield be high.

2. Site selection and land preparation

The soil for planting the tea-oil tree is best slightly acidic, as only then will the survival rate be high. Secondly, the soil should be relatively fertile, preferably red soil or sandy soil. Finally, the tea-oil tree prefers shade in its early growth stage, but later it needs plenty of sunlight, so it is best to choose a semi-sunny slope with relatively abundant sunshine, or a sunny slope will also do. Land preparation should be carried out according to the specific situation: on flat land we need to plough the whole area, while on sloping land we can choose to plough only the small area to be planted, which both reduces labour and prevents damage to the vegetation.

3. Reasonable planting

(1) Planting time: October or February each year.

(2) Planting density: the planting density is best kept at about one hundred trees per mu, that is, about 2 m between each plant and about 3 m between each row.

(3) Planting method: seed sowing can be used, as can seedling cuttings or grafting, but seed sowing has a relatively long growth cycle, though in general they all bear fruit in about two and a half to three years.

4. Scientific fertilisation

Fertilisation should be divided into three stages. The first is fertilising at the seedling stage, mainly with nitrogen fertiliser, that is, what we commonly call urea, mainly to promote the growth of the tea-oil tree. The second stage is tea-oil trees that have reached three years and begun to bear fruit; at this time the tea-oil tree is in its prime, so we need to fertilise in three steps: first apply a growth fertiliser once in spring, then a flower-promoting fertiliser once when it blooms, and finally a fruit-strengthening fertiliser once when it sets fruit. The third stage is when the tea-oil tree has reached a certain age; we need to add one maintenance fertiliser on the basis of the second stage, that is, after the oil tea harvest. The growth fertiliser is mainly nitrogen fertiliser, the flower fertiliser is mainly potassium and phosphorus fertilisers, and the fruit fertiliser is mainly boron fertiliser.

5. Field management

(1) Intertillage and weeding: the tea-oil tree needs about three rounds of intertillage and weeding a year, which can improve its resistance and also, to a certain extent, speed up its growth rate.

(2) Pest and disease control: the tea-oil tree has strong resistance, so pests and diseases rarely appear; even so, we still carry out prevention, that is, regularly spraying the tea-oil tree with some Bordeaux mixture or carbendazim, and spraying some trichlorfon solution when there are pests.

(3) Pruning: pruning of branches and leaves is a relatively important step, because the tea-oil tree needs plenty of sunlight in the middle and later stages, so we should cut away some of the branches and leaves in the places that grow relatively densely, and next cut away the relatively weak branches and leaves at the bottom as well as dead and diseased branches, which can increase the yield of the tea-oil tree.

(4) Orchard cleanup: this is generally needed immediately after the oil tea harvest; we should clear out the debris and dead branches in the field, then spread a layer of lime to disinfect.