Autumn Tea

During the spring warming period, cold air often invades, causing a significant drop in temperature. This weather, characterized by warmth before and cold after, is known as late spring cold. Late spring cold generally refers to prolonged periods of low temperatures and overcast rainy weather after the Vernal Equinox, specifically when the temperatures in late March or early April are lower than average. Depending on the timing, it can be further divided into "Vernal Equinox Cold" and "Qingming Cold." "Vernal Equinox Cold" occurs when the daily average temperature remains below 10°C for five days or more, with less than three hours of sunshine, from March 15 to March 27. "Qingming Cold" refers to low-temperature and rainy weather from March 28 to April 10. The Harm of Late Spring Cold to Tea Plants: In addition to variety, soil, fertilization, management, and processing skills, the production of high-quality tea also depends on climatic conditions. The relationship between tea production and temperature, sunlight, and rainfall is close. When the daily average temperature remains above 10°C for three consecutive days, tea buds begin to sprout and unfurl; once the temperature stabilizes above 10°C, the growth of buds and leaves accelerates, and new shoots emerge.…

Pu'er tea is primarily divided into raw and ripe varieties. How do you choose an affordable yet delicious raw Pu'er tea? How to Select Raw Pu'er Tea? 1. Start by examining the tea cake. Look for signs that it's spring tea, which usually has some yellowish leaves on its surface. Check for "hoof prints," as spring tea buds and leaves are slightly fatter than those of autumn tea. The texture of autumn tea appears smoother and more linear compared to spring tea, with longer and finer strands. Autumn tea doesn't have yellowish leaves and looks very clean. 2. Smell the tea cake. Good tea should have a dry aroma and no off odors. If there are any unusual smells, immediately discuss this with the seller to determine the cause. Be cautious when tasting the tea later. 3. After rinsing the tea, pay attention to the clarity of the infusion in the teapot. A good infusion should be very clear, with a light yellow color for new teas. 4. When tasting, judge your initial impression. If the tea is very astringent, see if there is a subsequent production of saliva that mitigates the astringency. If, after swallowing the tea and then…

For Pu'er tea, many tea enthusiasts have the concept of "drink old tea, store new tea." So, how can we determine if a new tea has collection value? First, making a good tea requires many factors. The most critical are the following three aspects: What kind of new tea has the greatest collection value? I. Raw Materials Without good raw materials, no matter how skillful the process is or how correctly it's stored later, the tea cannot develop a good taste during its transformation later on. 1. Tea Variety A good tea is cultivated by people and is also the result of natural selection over thousands of years. Among various tea varieties, the sexual reproduction-based large-leaf type native to Yunnan is best suited for making Pu'er tea. 2. Growing Environment A suitable environment for growing tea trees. This includes appropriate altitude, proper sunlight duration and intensity, well-spaced planting, appropriate intercropping, no need for pesticides due to biodiversity that prevents the occurrence and development of diseases and pests, etc. 3. Picking Parts and Time Different parts of the tea leaves such as the bud tip, leaf, stalk, and yellow leaf play different roles in the post-fermentation process and have different effects…

The integrated approach to green precision prevention and control of major tea pests involves using core technologies such as narrow-band LED insect traps, yellow-red dual-color insect-attracting boards, and efficient sex pheromone lures to maintain target pest populations at a low level through long-term and efficient trapping. This is complemented by biological preventive measures, such as spraying inchworm virus preparations and releasing predatory mites, along with good agricultural practices to control pest populations. Finally, highly efficient, low water-soluble chemical pesticides are used as emergency measures in the event of large-scale pest outbreaks. In recent years, tea plant protection scientists have conducted extensive research on pest control techniques, developing effective green precision prevention and control technologies for tea pests. Below, we will use three of the most important pests in Chinese tea gardens—the gray inchworm, the tea inchworm, and the tea tiny green leafhopper—as examples. Integrated Approach to Green Precision Prevention and Control of Major Tea Pests I. Green Precision Prevention and Control Technology Model for Gray Inchworm and Tea Inchworm Note: “√” indicates the selected control technique at the corresponding time. The same applies below. 1. Core Key Technologies (1) Sex Pheromone Lures. Based on the severity of the previous year,…

Every spring, all things revive, and after a winter of rest, tea trees vie with each other to stretch out their plump buds. "When the spring breeze arrives in February or March, it's time to light the stone stove and try the new tea." Without exception, the aroma of spring tea fills the air across the country. One: What is Spring Tea? Spring tea generally refers to the tea made from the shoots and leaves that sprout from the tea tree after its winter dormancy in the spring. Spring tea can be considered the first tea harvested in the year. Some people believe that "the earlier the better" for spring tea, but this concept is not entirely correct. The time for picking high-quality teas varies each year. For example, the first spring tea can be harvested from February to March, with Yibin, Sichuan starting around mid-February, and the Wenzhou area starting in the second half of February. The Jiangbei tea region typically harvests around the Qingming Festival. Therefore, it cannot be said that the earlier the spring tea, the better. In summary, based on specific harvesting periods, spring tea can be divided into four categories: the first picking tea, the…

Main pests in autumn tea gardens and their control measures. The weather gradually cools down in September, with vigorous growth of tea plants and abundant food for pests, which is very conducive to the occurrence of pests such as mites and tea green leafhoppers. If not controlled in time, they can easily cause outbreaks that severely impact the yield and quality of next year's spring tea. The main pests occurring currently and their control measures are as follows: I. Tea Orange Spider Mite This pest is small in size, with adult and juvenile mites piercing and sucking tea plant sap. When mite numbers are low, the damage is not obvious and hard to detect. However, when mite numbers increase, the veins of affected leaves turn red, the leaves lose their green color and luster. Severe infestations result in a brown rust appearance on the underside of the leaves, withered and dried shoots and leaves, and a scorched appearance, and may even cause defoliation. Some tea gardens have experienced heavy infestations recently. Without effective control measures, mite populations will continue to rise. The following measures are recommended for control: 1. Strengthen garden management by removing weeds and fallen leaves. Timely picking…

In the height of summer, tea gardens across Hefeng County in Enshi Prefecture buzz with activity. Once neglected summer and autumn teas have become highly sought after due to the use of mechanized tea harvesters. Processing these off-season teas has not only increased the average yield per acre but also bolstered the economic returns for tea farmers. In recent days, in Guanding Village, Zouma Town, Hefeng County, local resident Chen Yonghong has been busy picking summer tea alongside his family. With the help of mechanized tea pickers, they can harvest over 2,000 pounds in a day, which can fetch around 3,000 yuan at current market prices. Local tea farmers explain that hand-picking is inefficient, and once the tea garden reaches a certain size, timely harvesting becomes challenging, leading to unsold tea. Furthermore, because summer and autumn teas sell for much less than spring teas, farmers often opt not to harvest them, resulting in waste. While villagers are busy picking, nearby enterprises are busy processing. Locals deliver several loads of fresh tea leaves daily to a tea company in Enshi Prefecture. Inside the factory, machines hum as more than 20 workers work overtime to fill orders from Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and…

To strengthen the management of tea gardens during summer and autumn and ensure production of teas during these seasons as well as the following spring, the Department of Plant Industry Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service Center, the Expert Advisory Group on Tea of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the National Tea Industry Technology System, have proposed technical guidelines for tea production in summer and autumn 2024. Strengthen Fertilization Management of Tea Gardens 1. Top-Dressing Fertilization in Tea Gardens (a) Root Fertilization: Top-dressing fertilization for summer tea should be carried out after the spring tea harvest, and for autumn tea after the summer tea harvest. For tea gardens in production, about 15-20 kg of urea or 20-30 kg of specialized compound fertilizer for tea (with a formula of 18:8:12 N:P2O5:K2O) is generally applied per mu, with higher-yielding gardens receiving slightly more. Image Source: Anji White Tea Website Fertilizer should be applied in trenches dug vertically below the edge of the tree canopy, with a depth of about 10-15 cm. Broadcasting of fertilizer is prohibited. In young tea gardens (1-2 years old), fertilizer should be applied 5-10…

With the arrival of spring, many tea regions have already started harvesting their spring teas, which will soon be available on the market. After a whole winter of rest and rejuvenation, tea plants have accumulated rich internal substances. During this period, the tea has a full flavor, is strong in taste, and is relatively more durable when steeped, making spring tea the best of the year in the minds of many tea enthusiasts. The first spring tea is the first batch of tea leaves picked in spring. As long as it is the first harvest of the year, it is called the first flush spring tea. This is also the first batch of tea to sprout each year. These leaves are smaller with larger, more abundant buds, good aroma, and a full-bodied, rich taste. What is the first flush spring tea? The spring tea, as the name suggests, is tea harvested and processed during the spring season, that is, tea picked and processed between the beginning of spring and the beginning of summer. Puer spring tea can be divided into “first flush,” “second flush,” and “end-of-spring” teas. “First flush” tea is made from the first tender shoots and leaves harvested…

The summer-autumn period is a critical time for tea garden management. To improve garden management and continue strengthening the tea industry as the leading sector, Shuangqiao Town seizes the sunny weather and organizes tea enterprises and farmers to conduct comprehensive summer-autumn tea garden management, aiming to enhance the quality and efficiency of the tea industry and ensure stable production and increased income for both enterprises and farmers.Extensive publicity and mobilization to enhance public awareness. To raise the public's awareness of the importance of summer-autumn tea garden management, Shuangqiao Town utilizes its cadre-household pairing mechanism, employing various methods such as household visits, community meetings, and courtyard meetings to disseminate knowledge about tea garden management and the significance of summer-autumn management. Extensive publicity and mobilization efforts aim to increase the public's enthusiasm and initiative in conducting summer-autumn tea garden management. Strengthen theoretical training to improve management levels. The town's Party Committee and government invited professional technicians from the Yangling Demonstration Zone to conduct theoretical knowledge training on tea garden management for over 60 tea enterprise managers and farmers. Through theoretical explanations and face-to-face communication, the training addressed questions and concerns encountered by tea enterprises and farmers during tea garden management, providing scientific…

Green Production Technology Innovation Team, Tea Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences / Xishuangbanna Comprehensive Test Station, National Tea Industry Technology System Mycterothrips gongshanensis, a new pest on tea plants, belongs to the order Insecta, family Thysanoptera, genus Thripidae, and species Mycterothrips. It is a cryptic bud and leaf pest that has been widely occurring in tea gardens in Yunnan province in recent years, with increasingly severe damage. I. Distribution and Damage Mycterothrips gongshanensis is prevalent in tea-growing areas of Yunnan, causing outbreaks in some tea gardens. The adult and nymph stages hide in the crevices between buds and leaves or at the tips and edges of the first leaf below the bud, feeding on the sap of young shoots and tender buds. Initially, the tips and edges of the affected leaves show yellow spots, which then gradually develop into brown patches. The buds and leaves become deformed and curled, the internodes shorten, and their growth slows down. Severe cases result in the easy detachment of leaves upon slight touch, leading to leaf fall and bare shoots, significantly affecting tea yield and quality, and potentially causing substantial economic losses in summer and autumn tea production. Damage caused by Mycterothrips…

Mid-Autumn Festival is always a crucial marketing opportunity. How to better capitalize on the Mid-Autumn buzz and leverage it for tea marketing is a topic that often sparks discussions and attention within the industry. To inspire new ideas for Mid-Autumn marketing among tea companies, "Tea Talk" has launched a special series titled "Seizing the Momentum of Mid-Autumn - Boldly Moving Forward - 2024 Tea Industry Mid-Autumn Marketing Series." This series will delve into trends for Mid-Autumn tea mooncakes and tea utensils, Mid-Autumn marketing strategies, and market trends. On the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival, the tea mooncake market becomes the focus of the industry, with questions about whether price wars are intensifying, whether the transition towards health is solidifying, how far the boundaries of innovative flavors have been pushed, and when the trend of extravagant gift boxes will return to rationality. To address these pressing and profound questions, "Tea Talk" decided to visit the core production areas of tea mooncakes in Shenzhen, Xiamen, and other locations for an on-site exploration. On the factory floor, tea mooncakes showcase their market appeal through distinct textures and creative packaging designs. However, the direction of the tea mooncake market is just one part of the…

Recently, the Zhenba County Agricultural and Rural Affairs Bureau, in conjunction with the National Science and Technology Special Mission Team, the Shaanxi Province Tea Industry Technical System, and Northwest A&F University, held a county-wide on-site training session on summer and autumn tea resource utilization at Shaanxi Bifengchun Tea Company. The aim was to further enhance the utilization of summer and autumn tea resources in Zhenba County, promote labor-saving processing technologies, lead the development of the tea industry with new productive forces, improve the quality and efficiency of the tea industry, and support industrial revitalization. More than 60 people, including representatives from tea enterprises, specialized cooperatives, some village-level collective economic organizations, and technical experts in tea processing, attended the training. Deputy County Governor Shao Yonghong of Zhenba County conducted on-site research and guidance, proposing specific requirements regarding the utilization of summer and autumn tea resources, industrial development, market expansion, and cooperation with farmers. At the training session, Professor Zhou Tianshan, a position scientist within the Shaanxi Province Tea Industry Technical System and deputy director of the Department of Tea Science at Northwest A&F University, provided the main training. Professor Zhou introduced new equipment developed by his team, including a tea withering…

You are natively born to the mountain and self-directed toward the distance.On September 17, 2023, the ancient tea forest cultural landscape of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er successfully gained World Heritage status. With this achievement, the world now knows its splendor, marking a new chapter in time. From here, you journey from China to the world, becoming the world's Jingmai Mountain. "We are grateful to nature and thankful for everything our ancestors have left us. The ancestor Paaileng left us tea, which has sustained generations upon generations. We must protect every plant, every tree, and every brick and tile on Jingmai Mountain for generations to come." Upon hearing that the ancient tea forest cultural landscape of Pu'er's Jingmai Mountain had successfully been listed as a World Heritage site, Zhou Tianhua, a resident of Mangjing Village, expressed his thoughts with deep emotion. The ancient tea forest cultural landscape of Pu'er's Jingmai Mountain consists of five ancient tea forests, nine ancient villages, and three buffer protection forests. The harmonious relationship between humans and nature embedded within it allows forests to be utilized, tea forests protected, and villages to endure. This highlights the wisdom of our ancestors in following nature and preserving the ancient…

Spring tea and autumn tea are two types of tea categorized by their harvest season. They have distinct differences in taste, aroma, and flavor, which is why they are favored by different tea enthusiasts. So, which one is better between spring and autumn teas? Today, we will delve deeper into this question. Spring Tea: Messenger of Spring, Fresh and Invigorating Spring tea, as the name suggests, is harvested during the spring season. Since tea plants have rested over winter, they accumulate abundant nutrients. As a result, spring tea has thick leaves rich in content, offering a fresh and invigorating taste with a strong aroma. The harvest time for spring tea generally starts from mid-to-late March and continues until mid-to-late May. In particular, the first flush of spring tea is often the best quality of the year. Green teas have a lustrous green color, while black teas have a dark luster, both being of superior quality. The mouthfeel of spring tea is fresh and invigorating, like the broth of freshly cooked bamboo shoots, leaving a lasting and lively aftertaste. Autumn Tea: Harvest of Autumn, Rich and Mellow Autumn tea, also known as "Gu Hua tea," is harvested during the autumn season.…