A Detailed Guide to Pruning Time and Cutting Propagation Methods for White Jade Orchid (Michelia alba)

The white jade orchid (Michelia alba) is beautiful and elegant, and it can also give off a faint fragrance. People all like it very much, but if you want the white jade orchid to grow well, it still needs frequent pruning, so that it can maintain sufficient nutrients for itself. However, pruning also requires attention to timing and technique. Below, let us learn about the best time for pruning.

When to prune the white jade orchid

The white jade orchid should not be pruned too much. Its sprouting ability is not very strong, so it is recommended to pinch back during the summer growing season; this is best. But if pruning is truly needed, it can be done between mid-to-late April and mid-May each year.

Propagation method for the white jade orchid (cuttings)

1. Choose branches that grow vigorously and are free of pests and diseases as cuttings. After selecting the cuttings, they must be carefully handled. For softwood cuttings, insert them immediately after collecting them to prevent wilting from affecting survival. If the lower cut end of the cutting can be dipped in some freshly burned plant ash, it can also prevent rot.

2. Generally, cuttings should be kept at 20-25°C, as this allows the fastest rooting. If the temperature is too low, rooting will be slow; if too high, it will cause the cut end of the cutting to rot.

3. After inserting the cuttings, keep the cutting medium moist, but not too wet, as too much moisture easily leads to rot. At the same time, also pay attention to air humidity. You can cover with plastic film to maintain humidity, but be sure to ventilate within a certain period.

How to grow the white jade orchid

1. Soil: For a potted white jade orchid at home, choose loose soil with strong air permeability and relatively rich humus for cultivation. Usually choose a clay pot, purple clay pot (tub), or plastic pot with more bottom holes, all with good air permeability. The soil in the pot should preferably contain a certain amount of granular soil of varying sizes to facilitate drainage and aeration.

2. Light: From March to April each year, move the pot or tub containing the white jade orchid outdoors and place it in a sunny spot. In summer, when the temperature is high, use shade netting as appropriate or build a simple shade shed, so that the white jade orchid can receive the morning sun while avoiding the strong light of summer afternoons (to avoid burning branches and leaves from exposure). Move it outdoors around the Beginning of Summer and place it in a sunny, ventilated spot, with sunlight of more than 6 hours. Only with sufficient light can it grow well; insufficient light will cause excessive growth of branches and leaves, with fewer flowers or even no flowers.

3. Fertilizing: Its flowering period is long, and it likes fertilizer. If fertilizer is insufficient, it will bloom less. During the flowering period, apply dilute human manure and urine, or liquid fertilizer made from fermented and rotted bean cake, tea seed cake, and fish bones, diluted with 9 parts water, applying once every 3-4 days. Stop fertilizing half a month before moving it indoors for overwintering.

4. Watering: The white jade orchid has fleshy roots. If the potting soil is too wet, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off, and it may even rot the roots and die. If too dry, the leaf tips will wither and the leaves will curl. It is a flower that fears both waterlogging and drought. During the flowering period, if the petals spread outward excessively, it indicates insufficient water; when moisture is suitable, the buds remain closed. When the surface of the potting soil looks dry and the soil is hard and cracked, water immediately. The water temperature and soil temperature must be consistent when watering; do not suddenly water with cold or hot water. In spring and autumn, watering once a day is generally enough. In summer, when it is hot, evaporation is high, and growth is vigorous, appropriately increase the frequency and amount of watering. When moving it indoors for overwintering in winter, watering should be restricted.

Pruning techniques for the white jade orchid

1. Branch bending: This can be done throughout the year, mainly on side branches or small branches on side branches. By bending branches to open the branch angle (70 to 90), change the branch direction and encourage new branches and flower bud formation.

2. Branch bending by hand: During its vigorous growth period, for relatively upright side branches, starting from the base of the branch, bend it by hand toward a position with more space until there is a slight crack on the back of the branch, then repeat once after a week.

3. Breaking the tip: During the vigorous growth period, puncture the young tender terminal bud of a vigorously growing branch with a needle or cut it with a blade. You can also pinch it by hand or simply pull out the terminal core.

4. Pruning: If pruning is truly needed, do it in summer during vigorous growth, choosing a position where new buds have grown 3 cm to 5 cm, and after pruning, immediately seal the wound with mud mixed with fungicide (such as Dexon) and growth hormone (naphthaleneacetic acid), then wrap it tightly on the outside with a small plastic film.

So the white jade orchid is also relatively easy to grow, and everyone can plant a pot themselves. Today, in addition to letting everyone understand the methods of growing the white jade orchid, we also learned pruning techniques. Pruning is the key to promoting good growth of the white jade orchid, so we can proceed according to the above methods. Whether it is care or pruning, it is all for its healthy growth.