Tea quality relies heavily on fertilization, and basic soybean meal alone isn’t enough. Premium top-dressing during the growth stage is equally crucial—it’s the key to elevating an already great 80-point tea into an extraordinary 90-point masterpiece.
What is the difference between top-dressing and soybean meal fertilizer?
As mentioned earlier, soybean meal fertilizer acts mainly as a “base fertilizer,” breaking down slowly to provide the essential nutrients needed throughout the tea plant’s growth cycle. In contrast, “top-dressing fertilizer” is applied during the growing season to supplement extra nutritional demands at specific stages. It is typically a fast-acting compound fertilizer that allows the tea plants to quickly absorb nutrients.
Why use premium top-dressing for tea plants?
Using a premium compound top-dressing offers many benefits. First and foremost, it enhances tea quality, making the brew richer and more impactful. Secondly, it promotes healthier growth and more stable yields. Additionally, compound fertilizers balance the nutritional needs of the tea bushes, preventing any single nutrient from being excessive or deficient. That’s why quality-focused tea farmers apply premium top-dressing 1 to 2 times during the growing season.
However, there are many types of fertilizers, and not all qualify as premium top-dressing. A cheap bag can cost less than NT$300, while a high-end one can run over a thousand. The difference they make in the resulting tea quality is immense.
The effects of premium compound top-dressing
Tea plants treated with premium fertilizers grow thicker leaves with a vibrant green hue tinted with yellow, yielding a much richer flavor. Most importantly, it improves the tea’s potential for future aging and flavor development. For quality-driven tea factories, top-dressing is an essential step for both spring and winter harvests, applied during the budding stage. Some top-tier tea makers may even add an extra round of top-dressing depending on conditions.
The top photo shows a tea plantation treated with premium compound top-dressing, while the bottom photo shows one using standard chemical fertilizers. Can you spot the difference in the tea?
Tea plantations that use premium top-dressing fertilizers produce tea infusions that are worlds apart in quality compared to those using standard chemical fertilizers. From the store manager’s perspective, using premium top-dressing is the benchmark for high-end tea priced at NT$3,000. Some Lishan tea uses only basic chemical fertilizers, which doesn’t even qualify it as ordinary tea.