This summer in Zhejiang has been exceptionally hot, with temperatures reaching over 40°C, like a furnace. This has also led to the emergence of terms such as “heatstroke,” a rare occurrence in recent years.

Our Tea gardens are particularly sensitive to extreme weather conditions like high temperatures and droughts. These conditions not only affect the normal growth of tea plants but also impact their yield and quality.

Therefore, implementing measures to prevent drought and heat damage and having an emergency response plan is crucial to mitigate economic losses in tea gardens.

Conventional Measures

1. Constructing Water Reservoirs: Build water reservoirs of various specifications in low-lying areas of the tea garden according to the terrain. Open drainage ditches in the tea garden; during seasons with ample rainfall, rainwater flows into the reservoirs through these ditches, which helps drain excess water during floods and solves the problem of waterlogging. During dry seasons, the stored water can be used to irrigate the tea garden, alleviating drought and addressing water shortages.

2. Shallow Tilling and Weed Control: Before the onset of drought, perform shallow tilling and weed control to disrupt soil capillaries and reduce water evaporation. The depth of shallow tillage should not exceed 10 cm.

3. Planting Shade Trees: Plant shade trees at a certain density within the tea garden to provide cooling effects. Shade trees should be tall, have good shading properties, and share no common pests or diseases with tea plants. The root systems of shade trees and tea plants should not be at the same depth. Various species can serve as shade trees in tea gardens, such as camphor trees, Chinese wingnut trees, Chinese fir, and mimosa.

Emergency Measures

1. Installing Irrigation Systems: Before drought strikes, install sprinkler or drip irrigation systems in the tea garden. Water the tea garden using sprinklers or drip irrigation in the early morning and late evening during drought periods.

2. Shading Tea Gardens and Surface Mulching: Shading tea gardens and mulching the surface can effectively reduce water evaporation. Before the onset of drought, cover tea plants with shade nets or use plant stalks, sun-blocking mulch films, etc., to cover the ground, aiming for full coverage to minimize water loss and prevent water stress in tea plants.

3. Timely Pruning: After drought, if branches and leaves show signs of withering, prune them promptly to reduce water evaporation and prevent the spread of dead tissue. Pruning should be light to avoid affecting the yield of the following Spring Tea season. Generally, pruning should be performed about 1-2 cm below the necrotic area.

4. Timely Fertilization: After the drought ends, apply organic fertilizers and specialized compound fertilizers for tea plants as soon as possible, along with appropriate amounts of quick-release fertilizers. When applying fertilizers, it should be done deeply enough to ensure that the roots can absorb sufficient nutrients quickly while also encouraging the regeneration of the root system.

For example, apply microbial organic fertilizers (200-300 kg per mu) by trenching 15-30 cm deep, tea plant-specific compound fertilizers (N-P2O5-K2O ratio of 18-8-12, 20-40 kg per mu), and urea (5-6 kg per mu). In the following early spring, apply quick-release fertilizers, such as trench-applied urea (8-10 kg per mu) and foliar sprays of nutritional foliar fertilizers, which will significantly aid the recovery of tea plants and ensure the yield and quality of spring tea.

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