Question

Explain how tea is cultivated.

Answer 1

1. Propagation: Tea is primarily grown in nurseries using high-yielding stem cuttings (clonal planting) rather than seeds to ensure uniform, premium quality.
2. Transplanting: After 9 to 12 months, the mature saplings are carefully transplanted into terraced fields or well-drained hill slopes within the tea estates.
3. Shade and Maintenance: The crop is cultivated under the canopy of taller trees to protect it from direct, harsh sunlight. The fields require regular weeding and application of nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
4. Pruning: The bushes are systematically pruned to restrict their height to about 1 to 1.2 meters. This encourages an abundant flush of new shoots and keeps the plant at a convenient level for harvesting.
5. Harvesting (Plucking): Skilled laborers, predominantly women, manually pluck the fresh terminal buds and the top two tender leaves at regular intervals to maintain high tea quality.