How to protect Tea plants from cold and freezing conditions?

Tips from the Silk Cotton Tea Industry Alliance

Recently, due to a cold air front, the county has experienced severe cold snaps and low-temperature wintry weather with snow and ice, leading to significant temperature drops that are expected to last for an extended period. This will have an impact on tea production. Based on the realities of the silk cotton tea industry's development, the following measures and suggestions for cold and freeze prevention are proposed. Tea businesses and farmers are encouraged to take effective actions according to their specific circumstances to minimize losses in their tea gardens.

I. Measures and Precautions for Tea Farmers and Businesses

1. For tea gardens or tea plant nurseries with plastic film or shade netting in place, promptly inspect the stability of the arch-shaped shelters and remove accumulated snow to prevent the collapse of greenhouses and other structures.

2. All Tea processing factories should closely monitor snowfall and clear snow off factory roofs, especially those with steel frame structures, to avoid structural collapses and resulting financial losses.

3. For tea plants with long shoots left untrimmed, heavy snow can cause branches to break. In heavily snow-covered tea gardens, it is important to clear the snow as soon as possible to prevent damage from melting snow refreezing and causing frost damage to the root system and trunk, which can affect growth and even lead to the death of the tea plants.

II. Post-Disaster Recovery Measures for Tea Gardens

Currently, tea gardens are in dormancy. After extreme weather events, a thorough assessment of damage should be conducted, and remedial actions taken based on the severity of frost damage to minimize losses caused by the cold.

1. Promptly repair winter protection facilities. Once the weather clears, damaged frames and torn plastic covers should be repaired immediately.

2. Timely pruning. In the spring, when temperatures rise and before new buds appear, prune frost-damaged tea gardens. The depth of pruning should correspond to the severity of the damage, cutting approximately 1-2 cm below the affected branches. It is best to make the cut 1-2 cm above a lateral branch. Pruning is not necessary if only the edges of the leaves are affected.

3. Enhance fertilization: For tea plants subjected to low temperatures, particularly those that have been pruned after frost damage, apply spring fertilizer early, using light applications frequently. Focus on nitrogen-based fertilizers and supplement with foliar fertilizers to strengthen the plants' vigor.

Silk Cotton Tea Industry Alliance of the Joint Large General Branch around the Jiawanxi River Basin

February 6, 2025