Feeling the warmth of spring for the first time, we have started the “spring trimming” today.
But only for the teas grown in the greenhouse for the purpose of early harvest.
The timing of “trimming” varies depending on each tea production region, and in cool Sayama region the trimming starts around the Vernal Equinox (3 days before and after the actual vernal equinox day, so this year will be between March 18th – 24th).
The “trimming” is especially important for machine harvested tea fields to level out the surface of the tea tree and prevent old leaves, stems or twigs to get mixed in the fresh leaves of the shicha period.
Compared to the “autumn trimming” done in other regions, overgrown tea leaves during the winter helps prevent tea trees from the damage from the cold; at the same time, the timing of germination plucking will be delayed so there will be less chances of frost damage.
In addition, having young and matured leaves still remaining on the tea tree before the autumn and winter season will act positively in forming nutrients.
この春、一番の暖かさに誘われて「春整枝」をスタートさせました。
とりあえずは早出しを目的としたハウス茶園のみですが
この「整枝」作業はそれぞれの茶産地で行われる時期が違い、冷涼な狭山地方では春のお彼岸を目処にスタートします。
この「整枝」とは、特に機械摘採茶園に必要な管理で、摘採面を均一にし、新茶期の生葉に古葉や木茎、あるいは遅れ芽や残り芽などが混入しないために行います。
他産地で行われる秋整枝と比較して、冬期の着葉数が多いため寒害を受けにくく、萌芽摘採の時期が数日遅れるので凍霜害も受けにくくなります。
また、活力ある若い成熟した葉が残った状態で秋冬を迎えることで、養分生成面でプラスにはたらきます。
The post Yokota Blog: Preparing tea for 2015 shincha appeared first on YUNOMI.
