☕️ Tea

Important points related to Cultivation

Tipping is an important operation. ^{FCI AGM 2021}
Plucking in tea is synonymous with harvesting in other crops. The tender apical portions of the shoots consisting of two to three tender leaves and the terminal buds are nipped off in plucking. Before starting the normal plucking in the season, the tea bushes are tipped at a pre-determined height retaining a few maintenance leaves and a flat plucking table is formed for convenience of plucking.
Plucking accounts for the maximum cost in tea cultivation. The quality of the made tea largely depends on the green leaves plucked. Plucking is carried out by pluckers in the tea gardens and a strict supervision is necessary to maintain the quality of green leaves.
Harvesting in Tea is done by Plucking.

Primaries: The shoots or branches developed from the light pruned bush are called primaries.
Tipping:
- When the primaries grow above a pre-determined height, these are decapitated or tipped at that height parallel to the ground surface.
- Initial few rounds of plucking are termed as tipping.
- This will encourage lateral growth and disperse the bush at a convenient height.
Tipping height:
- The height at which the tea buses are tipped above the pruning/skiffing mark is the tipping height.
- Its main objective is to retain the maintenance leaves on the bush.
- Tipping is done at a height of 35 cm from the second tipping at 60 cm from ground level.

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