Autumn Pruning and Tea Plant Vigor

This article is written by Hiroki A.

Autumn pruning, usually conducted around October, is one of the most important pruning tasks in tea cultivation. It plays a critical role in determining the quality and yield of the next year’s first flush (shincha). By leveling the harvesting surface and adjusting the depth of mechanical harvesting, farmers can balance the number of new shoots and the fullness of each shoot, maximizing both quality and yield.

This pruning removes a large number of autumn shoots. In many cases, these pruned shoots are harvested and processed into products such as hojicha (roasted green tea). For this reason, the terms autumn pruning and autumn tea are sometimes used interchangeably.

When performing autumn pruning, one of the most important factors to consider is the vigor of the tea plants. Vigor refers to the growth strength of the tea bushes. Tea fields with good vigor produce thick shoots with large leaves, all growing evenly. In contrast, weaker fields produce small, fragile shoots, uneven growth, thin leaf layers, and in severe cases, even bare branches may be visible through the canopy.

Tea fields vary in vigor, and pruning must be tailored accordingly. In vigorous fields, a leaf layer of about 7 cm is maintained during autumn pruning. In weaker fields, where the leaf layer is less than 5 cm, pruning is postponed until spring (spring pruning). This allows the leaves to continue photosynthesis from autumn to spring, promoting recovery and strengthening the plants.

Since the vigor of tea fields differs greatly, management must be adapted to each field’s condition. Practices such as shading cultivation can put stress on the plants, often weakening their vigor. To produce high-quality tea, it is essential to carefully assess the condition of the tea field and implement appropriate management.