It takes between four and eight years for the newly planted seedlings to reach maturity. Usually from the second year bushes are trained into the desired shape. Through pruning, the height of the main trunk is curbed and lateral branch growth is promoted. The objective of the pruning is to obtain even foliage cover at an early stage and expand the picking surface area. In the case of the Yabukita tea plant cultivar variety, pruning is done to a level of 15-20cm in the second year after fixed planting, 25-30cm in the third year and 35-40cm in the fourth year. In addition, because the young bushes have wide spacing between the rows, it is easy for weeds to grow rapidly. By laying PVC mulch sheeting or straw, the ground surface is covered, making it difficult for weeds to become established. Other weed control methods include tilling the surface soil, while the weeds are still small, to cut the weed roots.