While the plant prioritizes the apex bud, the new leaf that grows out of the tip of a branch of leaves, the plant also produces lateral buds, or new leaves that grow off the base of leaves lower on the stems.
in high grade leaves, that need to be handpicked, the apex bud is plucked forcing the plant to put nutrients into lateral buds which grow more evenly and allow the plant to produce more leaves at equally high grade.
