The Latest Magnolia Bark Planting Techniques, Methods and Tutorial
Magnolia bark, also known as purple magnolia bark and purple oil magnolia bark, is a plant of the Magnolia genus in the Magnoliaceae family, and is cultivated in Sichuan, Hubei and other parts of China. Its bark, root bark, flowers and seeds can all be used as medicine, and it has the effects of resolving dampness and relieving stagnation, promoting the flow of qi and relieving asthma, aiding digestion and dispelling phlegm, and expelling wind and relieving pain. Its seeds can be pressed for oil, with an oil content as high as 35%, giving it significant economic value. So how should it be planted? Let us find out together.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
The magnolia bark tree is a plant that loves light and fertilizer, so a sunny, wind-sheltered area should be chosen for planting, requiring loose, fertile soil with good drainage. It can be planted in the yellow-red mountain soils of southern China. The seedling nursery requires an altitude of 300-800 m or more, with a slight slope. For the afforestation site, a sunny slope with deep soil layers, loose texture, fertility and convenient drainage and irrigation should be chosen. The seedling nursery should be deep-ploughed in winter, with 3000 kg of farmyard manure applied per mu, then raked fine and leveled, and beds made. On the afforestation site, holes are dug at a spacing of 3×3 m between plants and rows, generally with the length, height and width of each hole all being 50 cm.
2. Propagation Methods
The propagation methods of magnolia bark include seed propagation, cutting propagation and layering propagation, with seed propagation mainly used in production. Generally, excellent mother trees grown for 15-20 years are selected as seed sources, and the mature seeds are collected. After a series of treatments, the seeds are mixed with wet sand at a ratio of 1:3 for storage, to be sown the following year. Sowing can be done in spring or autumn; spring sowing is in February-March, and autumn sowing is in November. Drilling is used when sowing: shallow furrows about 3 cm deep are opened in the seedling nursery, the seeds are sown evenly into them, then covered with soil and grass to retain moisture, using about 15 kg of seed per mu.
3. Seedling Stage Management
After the seedlings emerge, the covering grass should be removed promptly, and loosening the soil and weeding should be done well, pulling weeds as soon as they appear to keep the seedling nursery free of weeds. After weeding, it is recommended to spread a layer of burnt soil, which can protect the roots of the seedlings and promote their growth. At the same time, attention should be paid to shading from strong sunlight to avoid burning the seedlings, and mainly to drainage and waterlogging prevention measures during the rainy season to avoid root rot from standing water. When the seedlings grow to the stage of five leaves wrapping the heart, 5 kg of urea can be applied as a top dressing per mu, either broadcast during the rainy season or, in clear weather, dissolved in water and splashed on.
4. Transplanting
After growing for one year in the seedling nursery, they can be transplanted; in areas of higher altitude, however, two years are needed before transplanting and planting out. For planting out, late autumn is chosen for a higher survival rate. The seedlings are dug out with their roots, planted in the prepared holes, and during transplanting the seedlings are held upright with the root system spread out and not bent, then covered with soil in layers and pressed firm; when the hole is half filled, lift the seedling slightly to let the roots spread, water, and then cover with a layer of loose soil.
The above are the planting techniques for magnolia bark. We hope they can help you. To learn more planting knowledge, please stay tuned to us.