Training of young tea

• Proper training of young tea is essential to encourage good spread of the bushes, proper development of frames and high density of plucking points.

Centering

• Cut the leader stem of the plants with secateur to arrest the apical dominance and to induce the secondary branches.
• Cut as low as possible leaving 8-10 mature leaves below the cut.
• Ensure proper recovery.
• Centering should be done 4-6 months after planting during humid weather when there is adequate moisture in the soil.

Tipping

• First plucking of the periodic shoot is done after centering / pruning.
• Two-tier tippingensures proper spread.
• First tipping at 35 cm height will induce the tertiaries.
• Second tipping at 50 cm height will increase the density of plucking points.
• Tipping should be done at green, semi-hardwood branches.
• Tipping should be done in shoots having 3-4 leaves and a bud.

Plucking

• Mother leaf / step-up plucking is practiced during lean seasons.
• Level plucking is done during high cropping months. This is essential for better frame development.

Shade management

• The best permanent shade tree for tea plantation in South India is silver oak (Grevillea robusta).

Planting of silver oak

• The silver oak can be propagated through seeds.
• The seeds should be sown within six months after collection.
• Seed should be sown in raised beds of 1 m width and of convenient length using sandy loam soil with a pH around 6.0.
• Seed should be covered with thin layer of sand / ash.
• Germination takes place in 2-3 weeks.
• Use 6-9 month old seedlings for planting.
• Plant along tea rows at a spacing of 6 m x 6 m (275 plants/ha).
• Apply a mixture of 100 g rock phosphate and 400 g dolomite per pit and thoroughly mix with soil prior to planting.
• Apply NK mixture @ 100 g/tree twice in a year; rock phosphate at 250 g/tree and borated lime 1.1 kg (1 kg dolomite + 100 g boric acid) during alternate years

Shade regulation

• Tea requires only sparse shade. So retain optimum stand of shade based on the growth of the tree, altitude of the garden and aspect of the field (south and west slopes require more shade).
• Thin out shade initially to 12 m x 6 m after 8-10 years of planting and if required further thinning may be done to 12 m x 12 m at later stages (12 years from planting).
• Always thin out shade prior to pruning.

Pollarding

• Cutting the main stem with the objective of developing lateral branches is pollarding.
• Commence pollarding when the trees attain a girth of around 50 cm at elbow level.
• Pollarding depends on altitude (8 m height for higher altitude, 9 m for low elevation).
• Leave one branch in each direction and 3 to four tiers of branches, below the pollarding height.

Annual lopping

• Cutting the erect growing branches on the laterals is lopping, which should be done before the onset of monsoon and lop only the erect branches and retain the laterals.

Shade removal

• Potential age of Grevillea is 40-60 years.
• Remove old trees after establishing new shade

Temporary shade

• For frost prone areas: Acacia mearnsii
• For mid elevations: Indigofera teysmanii
• For higher altitude: Sesbania cinerescens, Crotalaria agathiflora and Acacia elata
• Planting at 3 m x 3 m spacing is adopted.
• Temporary shade should be removed after establishment of Grevilliea after 3 years.

Plucking

• Harvest two to three leaves and a bud and / single and two-leaf banjis.
• Pluck the mother leaf during January- March.
• Pluck the new level during rest of the month.
• Pluck at 7-10 days interval during high cropping months.
• Pluck at 12-15 days interval during low cropping months. Removal of banjis and breaking-back should be a part of plucking operation.
• Do not pluck below the level.
• Leave immature shoots.
• Shear-harvest during rush periods
• Cut lanes in older fields

Pruning

Post-pruning care

• Apply copper oxychloride or sulphur+ linseed oil (1:1) to large cut-ends after rejuvenation and hard pruning