Studies on branch habit of grafted tea plant
嫁接茶树的分枝习性研究

Composite tea plant features great annual growth and increase in the number of shoots. In the second year after grafting, the annual length of sprout ranges from 70 to 100 cm. The number, length and thickness of shoots all exceed those of the collar pruned ones, which can play a positive role in developing the framework of crown canopy. According to this, in terms of crown construction in the infancy of the tea plant, there must be some differences between composite tea plants and young tea plants which has just one frame pruning per year. Instead, to the composite tea plant, it should be exerted twice a year. Pre spring, early and mid September are the suitable phases for doing it. Besides, in order to control height and promoter crown to extend in cross direction (breadthwise), properly top plucking could be helpful if taken at the end of spring and in summer and fall.