How to Grow Magnolia: A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions

The magnolia is fresh and beautiful, elegant without being flirtatious, dignified and gentle, and its appearance closely resembles the lotus, yet it is quite different from the lotus. When the magnolia is in full bloom, flowers cover the whole tree, blooming before the leaves emerge, with graceful figures standing tall among the branches, adding spring radiance to the garden, and as the magnolia blooms with waves of fragrance, refreshing the heart and delighting the mind, so how should the magnolia be grown?

How to Grow Magnolia

Magnolia loves light by nature and is relatively cold-tolerant, able to overwinter in the open ground. It loves high, dry conditions and dislikes low humidity; waterlogged planting sites easily cause root rot. It prefers fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy soil, and can also grow in weakly alkaline soil. In the warmer south, it can bloom from December to January of the following year.

Magnolia is an early-spring flowering tree species with both color and fragrance. When planting, the timing must be well controlled, neither too early nor too late; the most suitable time is 10 days before bud break in early spring or after the flowers fade and before the leaves unfold.

When transplanting, regardless of the size of the seedling, the roots must be kept with a ball of soil, and care should be taken to avoid damaging the root system as much as possible to ensure survival. Before planting, fully decomposed organic fertilizer should be applied abundantly in the hole as a base fertilizer. After planting, firm the soil and water thoroughly in a timely manner.

1. Fertilizing

White magnolia by nature loves a sunny and humid environment, and is not suitable for long-term growth in alkaline soil; for planting, choose a wind-sheltered, sunny, well-drained and fertile location. Before flowering, there should be sufficient water and fertilizer to promote the beautiful magnolia

Its flowers are large and strongly fragrant. The magnolia has few branches; apart from dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and branches that disrupt the tree shape, it generally does not need pruning. After the flowers fade, if the seeds are not to be kept, the fruit should be cut off to avoid consuming nutrients. White magnolia has relatively strong cold resistance and can overwinter in the open ground in North China and the southern part of Northeast China.

Magnolia relatively likes fertilizer, but dislikes heavy fertilizing; during the growing period, applying fertilizer twice is generally enough to benefit flower bud differentiation and promote growth. One application is in early spring, and the other is carried out in May-June. The fertilizer is mostly fully decomposed organic fertilizer. Newly planted saplings need not be fertilized; wait until after leaf fall or the following spring to fertilize again. The magnolia's root system is fleshy and not tolerant of waterlogging. During the flowering and growing period, the soil should be kept slightly moist. After autumn begins, watering should be reduced to delay the magnolia's rooting and promote the maturation of branches, which helps it overwinter. In winter, generally do not water; water only once when the soil is too dry.

2. Pruning

The magnolia's branches and trunk have relatively poor wound-healing ability, so pruning is generally not carried out. However, for a reasonable tree shape, water sprouts, dead branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, and branches that detract from the tree's appearance should still be cut off in the early stage of leaf unfolding. In addition, after the flowers fade, if the seeds are not to be kept, the spent flowers and aggregate fruit clusters should also be cut off to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting the next year's flowering.

3. Pot cultivation

Magnolia is mostly planted in the ground; when potted, it is suitable to cultivate it into a stump-style bonsai.

For potted magnolia, wiring and bending can be carried out, that is, after sprouting in April, as the new shoots grow, wire and bend them at any time, bending them into curved postures to limit the trunk from growing too tall. Also, because the magnolia is a deep-rooted species, staying in a pot for a long time easily weakens its growth, so after the flowers fade, the main roots should be trimmed and it should be planted in the ground for cultivation, then potted again before flowering; only in this way can the flowers be abundant and vivid.

Magnolia Cultivation Methods and Precautions

1. Leaf removal

For magnolias grown indoors, between the Spring Equinox and Qingming each year, you can choose to move them outdoors for a period of cultivation, mostly on cloudy or overcast days; the 2-3 days after moving outdoors are the magnolia's adaptation time to the outdoor environment. Then remove the old leaves on the plant, keeping only a few tender leaves on the branch tips to promote new shoot growth. Thereafter, each time the flowers fall, a small amount of old leaves needs to be removed to save the nutrients needed for new branch growth and flower bud initiation. During the magnolia's growing period, necessary and moderate pinching can also control the balanced distribution of nutrients and promote the sprouting of side branches.

2. Nutrients

Because the magnolia has a long flowering period, large flowers and abundant blooms, it also requires more nutrients for growth. Moderate fertilizing is needed to provide sufficient nutrients for its growth, thereby ensuring that the magnolia can produce lush and beautiful flowers when the normal flowering period arrives. When potting, apply a sufficient amount of base fertilizer; during the flowering period from May to July, apply an organic liquid fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium (decomposed cake fertilizer water) once every 5-7 days. Adhere to the principle of "light fertilizer applied frequently"; the fertilizer can be prepared from dilute to concentrated, and raw fertilizer must never be applied, to avoid burning the roots. In addition, every 7-10 days, foliar feeding should also be carried out once, spraying a 0.5 percent concentration plant growth promoter and a 0.3 percent concentration monopotassium phosphate.

3. Watering

The magnolia's roots are fleshy, so water control must be done properly. Therefore, from early summer to late autumn, water once every day to keep the soil moderately moist; especially during the dry "dog days", water once in both morning and evening, and air humidity should also be increased by spraying water on the leaves and flower pots. If tap water is used for watering, be careful to prevent the soil from becoming alkalized; if leaf yellowing occurs, promptly apply ferrous sulfate water or acidic vinegar water at about 0.7 percent concentration to the roots. During rainy spring weather, avoid water accumulating in the flower pot to prevent root rot.

4. Light

Magnolia growth needs to receive sufficient light; during the growing period it should be placed on a balcony or other sunny spot with long sunshine hours and strong light, and during the flowering period even more attention should be paid to light care, ensuring more than 6 hours of light per day. Long-term care in a shaded place is not conducive to the magnolia's normal flowering. Only during the "dog days" with long periods of direct strong light should moderate shading be carried out, usually between 12:00 and 16:00 each day. At this time, the ground temperature should also be cooled, specifically by pouring and spraying cool water on the ground, which also increases air humidity, artificially creating a suitable environment for the magnolia's growth.

Common Pests and Diseases of Magnolia

Common pests and diseases of magnolia: anthracnose, leaf spot disease, cicadas, red wax scale, cottony cushion scale, red spider mites, bagworms, longhorn beetles, etc. Once discovered, they can be sprayed with chemicals to kill them. However, longhorn beetles bore into the branches and trunk and root crown, and can sometimes kill the tree; if sawdust-like frass is found, look for the insect hole, dip a cotton ball in undiluted dichlorvos and stuff it into the hole, then seal the opening with mud to fumigate and kill them.

What Medicinal Value Does Magnolia Have

Magnolia contains citral, clove oil acid, etc. The magnolia is pungent and warm in nature and flavor, and has the effects of dispelling wind and dispersing cold, opening the orifices, and ventilating the lungs and nose. It can be used for headache, blood stasis-type dysmenorrhea, nasal congestion, acute and chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and other conditions. Modern pharmacological research shows that magnolia has an inhibitory effect on common skin fungi.

Pure as jade, fragrant as orchid, the magnolia carries the meaning of steadfast and unchanging love. In China, when auspicious days are encountered, the magnolia becomes a bond connecting people with one another. The magnolia symbolizes friendship, possessing the magnolia's beauty and also the magnolia's character; sow one magnolia, and harvest a whole tree of new life and goodness.