Fushun

 

 

 

 

 

Fushun: Late-maturity with strong cold resistance

   

 

Notes on cultivation

The rooting of cuttings is good, and survival after planting and initial growth are excellent. Tree vigor and cold resistance are strong, and the cultivation characteristics are good. The disease resistance is stronger than “Yabukita” for anthracnose and ring spot disease, but care must be taken because in Kanaya, a growing area of this cultivar, the occurrence of red blight on cuttings and young trees has been observed. The tree is upright, so tailoring young trees should be done in the same manner as “Yabukita”.

 

Processing characteristics

It is a slower-growing cultivar than “Yabukita”; seven days in the germination period and five days later in the harvest period.

The growth and bud uniformity of the first flush tea buds are good. The yield is quite high, more than 1.5 times higher than “Yabukita” for all of the first, second and third flush teas in tests conducted in the growing areas. The quality of the first flush tea is slightly inferior (than “Yabukita”) because the color and luster of the sprout is a little darker, and therefore the color is darker. The aroma, infusion color, and flavor are good without major drawbacks. The qualities of both the second and third flush teas are good.

 

Notes on processing

The color and luster tend to turn slightly blackish while processing. Selecting slight Fukamushi (deep-steam) devise may be suitable.

 

Dissemination and land suitability for cultivation

“Fushun” and “Saemidori” were both cultivated from the early 1990’s. While “Saemidori” grew into one of the major early-maturity cultivars for its splendid quality despite its drawbacks, “Fushun” did not become as popular, due to its rather feminine, delicate characteristics. However, “Fushun” is excellent during its growth. It is a late-maturity cultivar, meaning it requires less worry in regard to late-season frost damage and is suitable for any type of soil. The test results are stable and have little variation throughout the country, meaning it can be adapted in a wide area. In particular, its resistance to cold is the strongest among all varieties so far. In a test at the Mie Prefectural Tea Industry Center Nansei Experimental Site, it showed much better growth than “Meiryoku”, which is a strong and vigorous tree itself. In Gokase-cho in Miyazaki Prefecture a place where there is a ski resort, even though it is a southern area, field tests showed almost no cold damage or laceration-type freezing damage, and growth was strong. We recommend that you try “Fushun” in areas where cold damage is common and tea growing is challenging.