After tea leaves are harvested continuously, a significant amount of nutrients are depleted from the tea plants. During the summer season, high temperatures cause the soil to become compacted and weeds to proliferate, reducing soil quality and increasing pest activity, which negatively affects the growth of tea plants. Therefore, the primary goal of summer tea garden management is to restore the vitality of the tea trees, create a favorable ecological environment, and ensure high-quality and high-yield production of both summer and autumn teas.
Weeding and soil cultivation play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy tea garden. It is recommended to remove weeds, stones, and debris within 10 cm inside the drip line of the canopy and 20 cm outside. This process helps break up soil clods, improve aeration and water infiltration, and enhance nutrient retention. By loosening the soil, it promotes faster maturation, forms a soft and fertile top layer, encourages early growth of tea plants, and ultimately increases the yield of summer and autumn teas.
Applying summer fertilizer is essential after the spring harvest, as the tree has consumed a large amount of nutrients, and root growth becomes more active. According to research, for every 100 kg of tea harvested, 10 kg of pure nitrogen should be replenished to maintain soil fertility. If the expected yield is 150 kg of dry tea per mu, then 15 kg of pure nitrogen should be applied, with 5 kg as base fertilizer and 10 kg as topdressing. Organic manure such as compost, green manure, or animal dung can be used annually or every other year, combined with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. For optimal results, topdressing should be done multiple times throughout the season to balance nitrogen availability and maximize nutrient uptake during growth peaks. A common schedule includes applying 60% before spring tea and 40% before summer tea, or dividing into three applications: 40%, 30%, 30% or 50%, 25%, 25%. The typical N-P-K ratio is 2-4:1:1. In practice, this might translate to 15 kg of urea, 11.5 kg of calcium or magnesium phosphate, and 7.5 kg of potassium chloride per mu. These should be applied by digging a small trench 12–15 cm deep along the edge of the canopy, ideally before the end of May or early June.
Crown pruning is an important technique to maintain the health and shape of tea bushes. Light pruning involves cutting back protruding branches by about 3–5 cm, usually done before the end of May. Deep pruning is used for older, overgrown bushes with dense branching, where "chicken claw" growth and back branches reduce productivity. Deep pruning removes branches 10–15 cm above the existing canopy, but it may temporarily affect that year's yield. It is typically performed every 5–7 years after the tea tree begins to age.
Pest control is also critical during the summer. Common diseases include tea leaf spot and bud blight, while pests like tea caterpillars and tea webworms are prevalent. Tea leaf spot causes sunken lesions on the front of the leaves, with bumpy, powdery growths on the back. A 0.2%–0.5% copper sulfate solution can be sprayed every 7 days, up to 2–3 times if necessary. Bud blight leads to distorted, blackened leaves, and can be controlled with 70% thiophanate-methyl at 75–100 g per mu mixed with 50 kg of water, sprayed every 7 days. For caterpillar infestations, 90% wettable dichlorvos powder (100–150 g per acre) can be used with 45 kg of water, sprayed every 7 days. Regular monitoring and timely intervention are key to keeping the tea garden healthy and productive.
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