A New Tea Section Takes Many Years to Establish

The soil in the proposed area was tested a year before planting. It is necessary to clear the land of existing growth before planting tea, whether it is old tea, jungle, or bare land. If the area was previously under tea or other crops, land preparation requires extra care before replanting. The area is surveyed by a competent surveyor, and a contour map is prepared if it is undulating or sloping. On the map, key and subsidiary channels and ridges are marked. Once the land is cleared, the following steps are followed: Land Rejuvenation, Land Preparation, Digging of Field Drains, and Plantation of Young and Mature Tea. In the coming months, we will keep you updated on DT-9 so you can see how the tea grows. This article explains how we prepare the land for planting.

Step 1 — Land Rejuvenation

Once the area (DT-9) was cleared, we left it fallow for a few months. We planted leguminous plants that can be sustained for at least two years. These plants fix nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil. It is fertilized twice a year with a special grass fertilizer and lopped regularly to provide 10 to 15 tons of mulch per lopping, which enhances the fertility of the soil. We then harvested the plants periodically for composting. This rejuvenation process ensures the soil provides a healthy environment for the next 60–80 years, supporting the new tea plants.

Step 2 — Land Preparation

Tea cultivation in Bangladesh requires very specific land preparation. Unlike other sections in Faizi Tea Estate, the hill in DT-9 is surrounded mostly by flat land. The first thing we did was to harrow the area. Using a leveler, we leveled the ground with minimal soil disturbance. This was followed by deep forking to a depth of 18 to 24 inches, removing all old roots and stones. We completed this preparation before the onset of the monsoon.

Step 3 — Digging of Field Drains

Once leveling was completed, a local hydrologist conducted a survey to mark the drains. Since heavy rains are common, we take great care to ensure the land drains properly. We carved out the drains using our excavator and tractor-mounted digging machines. Following standard tea practices, we cut main drains 6 feet deep and 5 feet wide; feeder drains 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep; and smaller channel drains 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep. After completing the drains, we leveled the blocks of land between each drain to spread any extra excavated earth. Finally, we fenced off the area with goat-proof fencing to keep livestock out, and we were ready for planting.

Step 4 — Plantation of Young and Mature Tea

While the prepared land undergoes rehabilitation, a nursery of tea plants is nurtured one year prior to planting. Planting generally takes place during the monsoon to ensure adequate moisture for the plants in their first one to six months. The growth phase requires training for the next two to three years through regular fertilization and selective trimming to develop the frame of a mature tea bush. Tea plants are selected from various clones to suit local requirements—such as yield, agro-climatic conditions, type of land, and the desired quality of the tea product.

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