(Fertilizing)
It is said that high quality tea farming starts with enriching the soil. Therefore, autumn is a critical season for tea farmers. Tea trees grow best in autumn, so farmers work diligently to enrich the soil in late summer and early autumn. This work promotes new root growth production in tea plants. The work includes enriching the soil by adjusting soil pH to the proper acid levels, soil aeration by deep mechanical tillage, and application of autumn tea plant nutrients.
There are many tea farms in Japan with acidic soil and fertilizing only makes the soil more acidic, so it is necessary to adjust the soil to the appropriate pH. To adjust the acidity, farmers distribute lime between the tea trees in the month of September, then disc or cultivate the lime deep into the soil.

Roots of tea trees grow best in autumn, so it is very important for farmers to fertilize during the autumn season. Generally they use eight to fifteen varieties of fertilizer about ten times per year. Most farmers fertilize mainly (30 to 50 percent of the annual amount) in the autumn so that the fertilizer can slowly enrich the soil over a period of six months.
Tea trees for Gyokuro and Matcha are fertilized two to three times as much as other kinds of tea, such as Sencha, in order to create the characteristic deep mellow taste. Fertilizers should be fed in small amounts, several times every ten days or more. This process starts around the middle of September and continues to the middle of November. Fertilizing is more important and tough work for Gyokuro and Matcha tea farmers.

(Struggle with Harmful Insects and Disease)
As explained above, autumn is the season when the most amount of fertilizer is fed to the tea trees. If tea trees are not healthy in autumn due to damage by harmful insects or disease, the tea trees can't absorb enough of the nutrition of fertilizer, and unhealthy tea trees will not produce a good crop next spring. Therefore, farmers must struggle with harmful insects and disease in July and August, when harmful insects start buzzing around the tea farm, in order to keep tea trees healthy.
Tea farmers frequently check their crops to see if any problem is developing, and if so, they must immediately take appropriate action. Very strict management for preventing harmful insects and diseases is required for hand-picked tea which is the highest grade. As you know, tea trees for hand-picked tea and for machine-trimmed tea are grown in different ways, and tea sprouts of both types of trees grow differently. (For more information, click here.) If tea leaves of tea trees for hand-picked tea are damaged once, new sprouts will immediately appear from the root of the damaged tea leaves, and the sprouts will become branches. Under ideal conditions, tea trees for hand-picked tea should grow straight upward without any branches. Therefore, farmers must check the tea leaves for hand-picked tea almost every day.

• 

  Tea farm for "Honzu" canopy in Ogura area in autumn

• 

  Fertilized soil at the tea farm for "Honzu" canopy

• 

  Tea farm for tea hand picked under the "Tana" canopy

• 

  MAKI MUSHI (rolling insect) rolls tea leaves roundly and is resident in it.

• 

  Brown color parts are damaged by TANSO disease.

• 

  Tea trees for hand-picked tea under ideal conditions. They grow straight upward without any branches.

At last Kuradashi Matcha is now available!
The Jidai Matsuri festival will be held at Kyoto city on October 22. For more information, please see above 'The Jidai Matsuri festival' after October 22.
Our Kuradashi Matcha which has been stored for over 1.5 years was taken out from the granary. We have arranged three grades of limited edition Kuradashi Matcha as described below. They are limited edition of 850 packages each ONLY AVAILABLE this autumn season. And Kuradashi Gyokuro and Sencha teas are still available.
Celebrate Kuradashi Teas and enjoy the remarkable enriched flavor and sweetness which can only be experienced once every year! We are certain that the fine enriched flavor and sweetness will captivate you.

Kuradashi Gyokuro and Sencha

[Limited] Kuradashi Gyokuro Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$24.00 (Now Available)
The superb enriched and sweetened flavor and aroma lingers in the mouth for a while. The aroma is full, but not too strong. The flavor is rich and subtle. The taste is both mellow and enhanced...

[Limited] Kuradashi Gyokuro Premium (80g/2.82oz): US$26.00 (Now Available)
All Gyokuro does not gain an enriched flavor but only specific kinds of Gyokuro. We have enriched this highest grade of trimmed Gyokuro for one and a half years...

[Limited] Kuradashi Gyokuro Pinnacle (40g/1.41oz): US$34.00 (Now Available)
Tea leaves for this special tea grow in the Ogura area in the Uji region, which is known as one of the foremost production centers of the highest grade of enriched Gyokuro...

[Limited] Kuradashi Sencha (80g/2.82oz): US$24.00 (Now Available)
Long time ago the quality and good conditioned Sencha in Autumn season must have been similar in taste and aroma to this fine Kuradashi Sencha. And that time, only few people could enjoy the excellent flavour...

Kuradashi Matcha

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Super Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$40.00 (Now Available)
For this Kuradashi Matcha Super Premium, tea leaves just after harvest, are steamed and dried in a special fire pit. The smooth and mellow taste is uniquely brought out by the special drying process...

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Super Premium Refill (120g/4.23oz): US$100.00 (Now Available)
This Kuradashi Matcha Super Premium Refill package is an excellent value. The price is actually discounted 17%. For this Kuradashi Matcha, tea leaves just after harvest, are steamed and dried in a special fire pit. The smooth and mellow taste is uniquely brought out by the special drying process...

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Premium (40g/1.41oz): US$29.00 (Now Available)
Tea leaves for Kuradashi Matcha Premium are highest grade tea trimmed by machine and grown in Uji region, Kyoto. The smooth and mellow taste is uniquely brought out by the special drying process...

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Premium Refill (120g/4.23oz): US$73.00 (Now Available)
This Kuradashi Matcha Premium Refill package is an excellent value. The price is actually discounted 17%. Tea leaves for Kuradashi Matcha Premium are highest grade tea trimmed by machine and grown in Uji region, Kyoto. The smooth and mellow taste is uniquely brought out by the special drying process...

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Pinnacle (30g/1.06oz): US$45.00 (Now Available)
The traditional canopy used to shade tea plants from sunlight known as "Honzu" is unique and different from others. They are also important factors in creating the noble flavor and sweetness of the highest grade enriched Matcha...

[Limited] Kuradashi Matcha Pinnacle Refill (120g/4.23oz): US$145.00 (Now Available)
This Kuradashi Matcha Premium Refill package is an excellent value. The price is actually discounted 21%. The traditional canopy used to shade tea plants from sunlight known as "Honzu" is unique and different from others. They are also important factors in creating the noble flavor and sweetness of the highest grade enriched Matcha...