Tea tree is a perennial woody plant with a vigorous growth period of 5-30 years. The pruning technology can be divided into stereotyped pruning of young tea trees and pruning of adult tea trees with a tea tree pruning machine according to the age of the tea tree. Pruning is an important means to control and stimulate the vegetative growth of tea trees by artificial means. The pruning of young tea trees can control the growth of the main trunk, promote the growth of side branches, make it more branched and evenly distributed, and cultivate strong skeleton branches and an ideal crown shape with a certain height and amplitude. The pruning of mature tea trees can keep the trees strong, buds are neat, picking is convenient, the yield and quality are improved, and the economic life of the production garden can be extended. The pruning method is as follows:

1. Stereotype pruning of young tea trees

3-4 years after planting, after three pruning, the time is before the spring shoots germinate.

① The first pruning: more than 75% of the tea seedlings in the tea garden are more than 30 cm high, the stem diameter is more than 0.3 cm, and there are 2-3 branches. The cut is 15 cm from the ground, the main stem is cut off, and the branches are left, and those that do not meet the pruning standards are kept for pruning in the following year.

② The second pruning: one year after the first pruning, the cut is 30 cm from the ground. If the height of tea seedlings is less than 35 cm, pruning should be postponed.

③ The third pruning: One year after the second pruning, the notch is 40 cm away from the ground, cut into a horizontal shape, and at the same time, cut off the diseased and insect branches and the thin and weak branches.

After three prunings, when the height of the tea tree reaches 50-60 cm and the tree width is 70-80 cm, light harvesting can be started. When the tree is 70 cm high, it can be trimmed according to the standard of an adult tea tree using a tea tree pruning machine.

2. Pruning of old tea trees

① Light pruning: The time should be carried out after the end of the autumn tea and before the frost, and the alpine mountain area should be pruned after the night frost. The method is to increase the notch by 5-8 cm on the basis of the previous year’s cut.

② Deep pruning: In principle, cut off the thin branches and chicken feet branches on the tea bun surface. Generally cut off half of the thickness of the green leaf layer, about 10-15 cm. Deep pruning with a tea tree trimmer is done every 5 years or so. The time takes place after the end of the autumn tea.

Pruning Considerations

1. The diseased and insect branches, thin and weak branches, dragging branches, leggy branches, and dead branches in the crown should be cut off every pruning.

2. Do a good job of trimming the edges, so that 30 cm of work space is reserved between the rows.

3. Combine fertilization after cutting.