Winter protection and management of Tea gardens is a key focus of tea garden management, crucial for ensuring the yield, quality, and economic benefits of Spring Tea in the following year. To guide the proper winter protection and management of tea gardens this year, the Municipal Agricultural Technology Service Center has formulated technical guidelines for winter protection and management of tea gardens in our city.

1. Newly Established Tea Gardens

(a) Select Cold-Tolerant Varieties. Suitable cold-tolerant varieties for planting in our city include: Fuding Dabai, Huangshan Variety, Jiukeng Variety, Longjing Changye, Zhongcha 108, Longjing 43, Maolu, Jiukeng Early, Echa No. 1, Bixiang Early, Yellow Rose, Jin Xuan, Pingyang Special Early, etc. When establishing new tea gardens, preference should be given to these cold-tolerant varieties.

(b) Select Suitable Land for Garden Establishment. When establishing a tea garden, choose a site that is sheltered from the wind, facing south, with deep soil, acidic (pH 4.5–6.5), and has access to water. The soil type should be loam, sandy loam, or light clay loam.

(c) Create Protective Forest Belts. Plant protective forests around the tea garden, along roads, by ditches, on steep slopes, at the top of hills, and in other exposed areas. Common tree species used for this purpose include: Chinese Arborvitae, Chinese Juniper, White-barked Pine, Chinese Red Pine, Japanese Black Pine, Tree of Heaven, Photinia, etc. Plant them in staggered rows, with a mix of tall and short trees, forming a triangular pattern, and shrubs on either side.

2. Preparations Before Winter

(a) Promotion and Mobilization. Based on the freeze damage to tea gardens last year, which was generally mild, some farmers in certain districts, counties, towns, and streets may become complacent about winter protection and management of their tea gardens this year. They may not take proactive measures, resulting in untimely management, inadequate measures, or unscientific methods, especially regarding the reluctance to set up small, medium, and large arch-shaped shelters. As a result, tea plants can easily suffer freeze damage due to sudden changes in weather. Therefore, each tea-producing district, county, town, and street must intensify promotional efforts and guidance for winter protection. Farmers, tea enterprises, tea cooperatives, and all tea growers should raise their awareness and take effective measures to organize the winter protection of tea gardens.

(b) Moderate Pruning. Moderate pruning or topping of tea plants can enhance their ability to survive the winter. At the same time, prune drooping branches, low branches near the ground, diseased and insect-infested branches, and weak branches using a single-sided pruning machine. Prune diagonally towards the inside of the plant, clear the base, improve ventilation and light penetration, reduce nutrient consumption, and decrease the number of pests overwintering.

(c) Preventing Spring Pests in Autumn

1. Comprehensive Control of Overwintering Pests. The green blind bug, a pest that occurs in early spring tea gardens, migrates into the tea gardens and reaches its peak adult emergence during mid-September to early October (the exact timing depends on the number of individuals caught by pheromone traps). Ten days before and after this peak period, control measures such as clearing weeds and debris both inside and outside the tea garden, spraying pesticides to kill adults, and intercropping plants to attract and trap pests can be implemented to reduce the population of overwintering pests. At the same time, when controlling the green blind bug, pesticides can also be used to manage adult and nymph stages of leafhoppers and black scale insects. In conjunction with pruning before the winter, branches containing eggs of the green blind bug and leafhoppers can be removed.

2. Sealing the Garden with Lime-Sulfur Solution. For tea gardens with severe pest infestations, lime-sulfur solution can be sprayed according to the situation to seal the garden. Generally, use a dilution of 0.5 degrees Bé (for 45% crystalline lime-sulfur solution, mix 500 grams of lime-sulfur solution with 60 to 75 kilograms of water, stirring while pouring it into the water until well mixed, then spray). Focus on spraying the interior lower parts of the tea canopy where pests occur, as well as the undersides of leaves, branches, dead branches and leaves harboring pests, the soil surface, and weeds in corners. Also, ensure that the surrounding protective forests are evenly sprayed. (Precautions: Water temperature for preparing the lime-sulfur solution should be below 30°C; higher temperatures can affect the efficacy. Avoid using too high concentrations, which can cause leaf drop. Use immediately after preparation, and use up the prepared solution on the same day. Optimal application temperatures range between 5 and 20°C. Do not apply the solution if temperatures exceed 20°C or fall below 5°C. If it rains within 12 hours after spraying, reapply the solution as needed. For tea gardens covered with arch-shaped shelters, complete the treatment 30 to 40 days before covering to prevent leaf scorch. Lime-sulfur solution is a strongly alkaline pesticide and should not be mixed with Bordeaux mixture, copper-based products, mineral oils, or pesticides that degrade under alkaline conditions. The solution can irritate the skin and eyes; wear gloves and a mask when using it. Maintain downwind application, and shower and change clothes after work.)

3. Winter Protection Measures

(a) Soil Management

1. Moderate Deep Tilling. After the Autumn Tea harvest, perform deep tillage in the tea rows to a depth of 15 to 20 cm, removing dead branches, fallen leaves, weeds, and infested branches to reduce the incidence of diseases, pests, and weeds in the following year.

2. Apply Adequate Base Fertilizer. Apply base fertilizer in conjunction with deep tillage. Use 1.5 to 2 tons per mu (approx. 0.067 hectares) of mature organic farmyard manure, 150 to 200 kg of soybean cake, or 300 to 400 kg of commercial organic fertilizer. For 1- to 2-year-old tea plants, open a fertilizing trench approximately 15 cm wide and 15 to 20 cm deep parallel to the tea row, 10 to 15 cm away from the root collar, and apply the fertilizer. For 3- to 4-year-old tea plants, open a trench 20 to 25 cm deep, 35 to 40 cm away from the root collar. For mature tea gardens, open trenches vertically