Good tea thrives with proper nutrition; fertilizers are the material foundation for increasing yield and improving quality in tea production. Fertilization plays a crucial role in the growth of tea plants and the yield and quality of tea leaves. While some nutrients are supplied by the soil itself, its nutrient content is limited and subject to environmental factors, leading to significant losses through leaching and volatilization, which greatly reduces nutrient availability. This is insufficient to meet the needs of tea plant growth, let alone high yields and quality standards. Additionally, as a leaf-harvesting crop, the annual harvest of large quantities of buds and leaves removes a certain amount of nutrients. Therefore, most nutrients must be replenished through fertilization. When soil nutrient imbalances occur or there is an extreme deficiency of one or more nutrients, it is necessary to use appropriate fertilizers to correct the nutritional deficiencies to ensure high-yield and high-quality tea production. Therefore, proper management of tea gardens during different seasons is crucial, and fertilization is a key technology in garden management that should receive significant attention. Especially during autumn, a critical period for tea garden management, the focus is on rapidly restoring tree vigor to lay the groundwork for high-quality and high-yield spring tea the following year.
1. Optimal Timing for Fertilization
The timing of fertilization should meet the needs of the tea plant. Tea plants have a specific growth pattern, absorbing nutrients through their roots, which grow alternately with above-ground parts.
As shown in the Hangzhou tea region, tea plant root systems experience four growth peaks throughout the year: from early February to mid-March, mid-May to mid-June, mid-July to early August, and mid-October to early December, which are the highest growth periods of the year when root systems have the strongest ability to absorb nutrients.
1.1 Bud-stimulating Fertilizer (Chase Fertilizer)
The purpose of bud-stimulating fertilizer is to promptly supplement the nutritional elements needed for bud and leaf development, especially fast-acting fertilizers. It is best to apply this fertilizer when the spring shoots are in the scale stage to the initial unfolding of the fish-leaf stage, ideally around mid-February in the Hangzhou tea region. The second application is in early June after the spring tea harvest, and the third is in mid-July. For mechanically harvested tea gardens, fertilization should immediately follow each harvest.
1.2 Base Fertilizer
The role of base fertilizer is to provide sufficient, slowly decomposing nutrients throughout the year, ensuring that the tea plant's root system can absorb nutrients at peak levels during winter, thus providing ample stored nutrients. This strengthens the tea plant's cold resistance over winter and provides a solid foundation for vigorous growth in the following spring.
The application of base fertilizer should take place immediately after the cessation of tea plant branch and leaf growth, generally earlier rather than later. Timely application is beneficial for the normal development of winter buds, root growth, safe overwintering, and most importantly, increased storage of nutrients in the roots, which significantly affects spring growth the following year. Due to differences in base fertilizer types, the timing of application is crucial. For example, Cake meal cannot be immediately absorbed by tea plants after being added to the soil; it requires microbial action (fermentation), taking about one month, and its effects are relatively slow. In the Hangzhou tea region, applying vegetable cake meal in mid to late September is optimal, with the peak absorption period occurring in mid to late October.
2. Types and Amounts of Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are traditional fertilizers used in tea gardens. Adequate organic fertilizers have been proven to increase tea yield and improve quality in main tea-producing regions. Tea plants that are regularly fertilized with organic fertilizers not only maintain stable yields but also produce new shoots with less cellulose, better tenderness, and significantly higher contents of amino acids, catechins, theanine, and Caffeine, which are beneficial for enhancing the aroma components of tea. Additionally, adequate application of organic fertilizers in tea gardens improves soil conditions, promotes root growth, and enhances the tea plant's resistance to adverse conditions. Therefore, the principle of fertilization in tea gardens is to emphasize organic fertilizers and combine them with inorganic fertilizers, adjusting the amounts of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers based on Soil fertility conditions while increasing nitrogen fertilizer usage and applying foliar fertilizers as needed.
2.1 Bud-Stimulating Fertilizer
Spring is a time of strong growth and high yield for tea plants, with high levels of internal substances and good quality. To fully meet the nutritional requirements for spring tea growth, encourage early, abundant, uniform, and robust growth, timely application of the first chase fertilizer is essential, as the base fertilizer applied in autumn and winter is slow-acting and cannot meet the high demand for nutrients during vigorous bud growth. Therefore, applying fast-acting inorganic fertilizers is necessary, such as urea (N: 45-46%), ammonium sulfate (N: 20-21%), phosphorus fertilizers like superphosphate (P: 12-18%) and calcium Magnesium phosphate (P: 14-48%), potassium fertilizers like potassium sulfate (K: 48-52%) and monopotassium phosphate (P: 52%, K: 34%). Currently, specialized tea fertilizers are primarily used.
2.2 Base Fertilizer
Base fertilizers are mainly organic, supplemented with fast-acting nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, ideally mixed with manure, cake meal, and compound fertilizers, along with a small amount of fast-acting inorganic fertilizers. The amount varies based on the condition of the tea garden, typically 250-300 kg per mu of vegetable cake meal, plus 60-75 kg per mu of calcium magnesium phosphate, and 20-25 kg per mu of urea. Specialized organic fertilizers for tea currently available on the market are more targeted and efficient than traditional organic fertilizers and have the advantage of easy application. In addition, inorganic fertilizers are fast-acting, and their effects are quick. During periods of intense growth and harvesting, large amounts of nutrients are consumed, often leading to deficiencies in certain elements that must be promptly replenished to meet the needs of tea plant growth. At this time, applying fast-acting inorganic fertilizers is necessary.
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