Key Technical Points and Methods for Formative Pruning of Young Trees
Formative Pruning Techniques for Young Tea Trees
Tea trees grown naturally without pruning have relatively sparse branching, and it is difficult for the canopy to spread. In order to effectively suppress the apical growth dominance of tea trees, promote the sprouting of lateral buds, increase the number of effective branching layers and branches, cultivate skeleton branches, and form a broad and dense plucking surface, young tea trees must undergo 3 formative prunings.
The 1st formative pruning is extremely important for the formation of the tea tree skeleton and must be carried out meticulously to ensure quality. When the tree reaches 2 full years of age, with seedlings 30 cm tall, having 1 to 2 branches, and a stem diameter exceeding 0.3 cm at 5 cm above ground, prune at about 15 cm above ground. The cut should be slanted inward, and axillary buds facing the row spacing should be retained as much as possible to induce new branches to extend toward the row spacing. The cut must be smooth, and splitting must be avoided at all costs, so that rainwater does not soak the wound, making it difficult to heal and affecting sprouting.
The 2nd formative pruning is generally carried out 1 year after the previous pruning. The pruning height can be raised 15 to 20 cm above the previous pruning cut. For this pruning, hedge shears can be used to cut flat according to the standard pruning height, and then pruning shears are used to remove overly long small stumps. Similarly, care should be taken to retain lateral branches facing the row spacing to facilitate outward extension of branches.
The 3rd formative pruning can be carried out 1 year after the 2nd formative pruning, or after appropriately plucking several batches of spring tea, but the earlier the formative pruning is done, the better, and it should be no later than late April, so as to minimize the impact on branches that have already sprouted. The height of this pruning is raised 10 to 15 cm above the previous pruning cut, and the tea tree canopy surface can simply be cut flat with hedge shears.
Through the above 3 formative prunings, the canopy expands rapidly and already has a robust skeleton, so leaves can then be appropriately retained during plucking, plucking high and nurturing low, to enhance branch density. In the following two years, shaping pruning is carried out by raising 5 to 10 cm above the previous year's pruning cut. For shrub-type tea trees, the canopy should be made slightly arc-shaped; for tree-type and semi-tree-type tea trees, a horizontal canopy should still be maintained, so as to further expand the plucking surface and increase sprouting density. After 3 formative prunings and two years of shaping pruning, the broad and dense plucking surface has basically been completed, and formal plucking can begin, gradually entering the peak plucking period.
For large-leaf tea regions, the segmented pruning method successfully researched in the 1960s by institutions such as the Tea Research Institute of the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences can be adopted. For newly planted tea seedlings (transplanted tea gardens), the standard for formative pruning is a main stem diameter of 0.4 cm and a pruning height of 12 cm (18 cm for current dense-planting tea gardens). Thereafter, prune once every 20 to 30 days, removing 1/3 to 1/2 of the total number of branches each time; the standard is that branches are lignified or semi-lignified, with a stem diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 cm and 7 to 8 leaves. Each pruning height is raised 8 to 12 cm above the original base, and after 3 years of segmented pruning, it is changed to flat pruning once a year. In addition, the branch-bending method can also be used. The suitable times for branch bending are early February, late September, and late October. The standard to follow is a branch stem diameter of 0.4 cm, a height of 30 cm, high branches 15 cm above ground, and an angle of 100 degrees to 110 degrees; branch bending is carried out once a year along with flat pruning. The branch-bending method can significantly promote branching, make full use of branches, and cause rapid canopy spreading, increasing biological yield by 1.65 times and increasing yield by 27% to 40%; it is an effective measure for rapidly establishing a tea garden.
The 1st formative pruning is extremely important for the formation of the tea tree skeleton and must be carried out meticulously to ensure quality. When the tree reaches 2 full years of age, with seedlings 30 cm tall, having 1 to 2 branches, and a stem diameter exceeding 0.3 cm at 5 cm above ground, prune at about 15 cm above ground. The cut should be slanted inward, and axillary buds facing the row spacing should be retained as much as possible to induce new branches to extend toward the row spacing. The cut must be smooth, and splitting must be avoided at all costs, so that rainwater does not soak the wound, making it difficult to heal and affecting sprouting.
The 2nd formative pruning is generally carried out 1 year after the previous pruning. The pruning height can be raised 15 to 20 cm above the previous pruning cut. For this pruning, hedge shears can be used to cut flat according to the standard pruning height, and then pruning shears are used to remove overly long small stumps. Similarly, care should be taken to retain lateral branches facing the row spacing to facilitate outward extension of branches.
The 3rd formative pruning can be carried out 1 year after the 2nd formative pruning, or after appropriately plucking several batches of spring tea, but the earlier the formative pruning is done, the better, and it should be no later than late April, so as to minimize the impact on branches that have already sprouted. The height of this pruning is raised 10 to 15 cm above the previous pruning cut, and the tea tree canopy surface can simply be cut flat with hedge shears.
Through the above 3 formative prunings, the canopy expands rapidly and already has a robust skeleton, so leaves can then be appropriately retained during plucking, plucking high and nurturing low, to enhance branch density. In the following two years, shaping pruning is carried out by raising 5 to 10 cm above the previous year's pruning cut. For shrub-type tea trees, the canopy should be made slightly arc-shaped; for tree-type and semi-tree-type tea trees, a horizontal canopy should still be maintained, so as to further expand the plucking surface and increase sprouting density. After 3 formative prunings and two years of shaping pruning, the broad and dense plucking surface has basically been completed, and formal plucking can begin, gradually entering the peak plucking period.
For large-leaf tea regions, the segmented pruning method successfully researched in the 1960s by institutions such as the Tea Research Institute of the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences can be adopted. For newly planted tea seedlings (transplanted tea gardens), the standard for formative pruning is a main stem diameter of 0.4 cm and a pruning height of 12 cm (18 cm for current dense-planting tea gardens). Thereafter, prune once every 20 to 30 days, removing 1/3 to 1/2 of the total number of branches each time; the standard is that branches are lignified or semi-lignified, with a stem diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 cm and 7 to 8 leaves. Each pruning height is raised 8 to 12 cm above the original base, and after 3 years of segmented pruning, it is changed to flat pruning once a year. In addition, the branch-bending method can also be used. The suitable times for branch bending are early February, late September, and late October. The standard to follow is a branch stem diameter of 0.4 cm, a height of 30 cm, high branches 15 cm above ground, and an angle of 100 degrees to 110 degrees; branch bending is carried out once a year along with flat pruning. The branch-bending method can significantly promote branching, make full use of branches, and cause rapid canopy spreading, increasing biological yield by 1.65 times and increasing yield by 27% to 40%; it is an effective measure for rapidly establishing a tea garden.