Generations of Tea Shoots

Now you will understand that there are many shoots in a tea bush in productive age, in different stages or maturity in growth. These are shoots that still not emerged, shoots with only two scale leaves, bud with one leaf, two leaves, three leaves and so on. A group of shoots at the same maturity is called a generation. Therefore, in a tea bush trained to pluck is having 6-7 shoot generations, which we harvest the oldest one or two generations, remaining the rest un-plucked, to be plucked in next plucking as heavier units.



Now you are clear that, for continuous plucking and growth of new shoot generations, picking of older shoots is necessary. To ensure the quality of made tea and an acceptable out turn, shoots are plucked at the correct maturity at, bud with 2-3 leaves, at which stage the chemicals in leaf cell sap and the fiber content is in the correct proportion for a quality and supreme made tea manufacture.

Plucking interval or Harvesting interval

When the oldest one or two generations are being plucked, it will take about 5-7 days (in tropical countries) for the next generations to come into the plucking stage. This time of 5-7 days between 2 consecutive harvestings is termed the “plucking round” or “plucking interval”. Scientifically, the plucking round is preferably the same as the “leaf period” or “shoot phyllochron”; the number of days taken for fully unfurling of leaf from the bud.

Standard of plucking or Plucking Standard

For a high quality made tea manufacture while increasing the out turn it is necessary to pluck only the shoots at the correct maturity. Only buds with 2 or 3 tender leaves and tender dormant buds are accepted for the manufacture. If the proportion by weight of above three categories of shoots are >75%, it is called a fine plucking standard (Of course, fine plucking severity helps to get a fine plucking standard), if it is 75%-60%, it is considered a medium plucking standard while <60%>