TRAINING OF YOUNG TEA Three to four months after planting, the apical dominance is arrested by cutting off the leader stem. This operation, called centering, promotes the axillary bud's growth and lateral branches are formed. For further lateral branch formation, good spread and establishment of plucking surface the growing branches are trained by two stage tipping. First tipping is carried out at 35 cm followed by second tipping at 50 cm.

Formative pruning (Branch formation pruning) is carried out at the end of five years after planting. The recommended pruning height for formative pruning is around 45 cm. At the time of formative pruning less than pencil size thick branches are removed.