How to Grow Magnolia officinalis? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Magnolia officinalis is a tree of the Magnolia genus, reaching a maximum height of about twenty meters, and is also known as wenpo. It is currently mainly cultivated in China's Sichuan, Hubei and other places, and is one of the wild plants under second-class national protection. Magnolia officinalis is also a Chinese medicinal herb, mainly referring to the bark of the Magnolia officinalis tree. It can treat food stagnation with qi blockage, abdominal distension and constipation, dampness obstructing the middle jiao, epigastric fullness with vomiting and diarrhea, phlegm congestion with adverse qi, and chest fullness with wheezing and coughing. So how should Magnolia officinalis be planted? Let's take a look together below.
1. Land preparation and bed making
Magnolia officinalis is now a very precious plant, so its requirements for the growing environment are relatively high. The planting site is generally loose in texture, with moderate soil pH, and sandy soil or loam rich in humus is acceptable. It cannot be planted in heavy clay or poorly drained soil. Land preparation is generally done in autumn and winter, with deep plowing of the soil, and after the spring thaw the soil is turned again, impurities in the soil are cleared away, and a layer of organic fertilizer or farmyard manure is spread as base fertilizer. After spreading the base fertilizer, turn the soil again to work the base fertilizer into the soil, then level it and make beds. The width of the beds is generally about one meter to one meter five, and the bed height of about ten to fifteen cm is sufficient.
2. Propagation methods
There are three propagation methods for Magnolia officinalis, namely seed propagation, layering propagation, and cutting propagation. However, the techniques for its layering propagation and cutting propagation are not yet perfected, and the most commonly used is still the seed propagation method. The sowing time is generally around late February to mid-March each year. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water for about one to two days, then remove them and drain off the water, and soak them in strong tea for another one to two days. Once the seeds are prepared, sow them by the drill method, with a row spacing of about twenty-five to thirty cm and a plant spacing of about five to ten cm.
3. Afforestation and transplanting
When the Magnolia officinalis seedlings grow to a height of thirty-five to forty cm, they can then be transplanted. Magnolia officinalis has a long growth period, and throughout its entire growth process it needs to go through multiple transplantings. The density for the first transplanting is generally a row spacing of one meter and a plant spacing of about eighty cm. The final planting density is a plant spacing of about four to five meters and a row spacing of about six to eight meters.
4. Later management
The later management is actually relatively simple. When Magnolia officinalis is still a seedling, we should frequently carry out intertillage and weeding to enhance soil permeability and reduce nutrient consumption, and we also need to build shade sheds. Topdressing is needed at least once to twice a year, and each topdressing should be combined with watering, but attention should also be paid to drainage, so as to avoid root rot when there is more rainfall. Intertillage and weeding should be carried out at least twice or more each year, and hilling and loosening of the soil at least five times or more. Topdressing is mainly based on farmyard manure, and the branches and leaves of the Magnolia officinalis tree should be pruned at the appropriate time to promote its growth and keep the trunk straight.
5. Pest and disease control
There are many relatively common pests and diseases during the cultivation of Magnolia officinalis. Among them, the most common diseases include leaf blight,
root rot, and damping-off, which are generally caused by improper field management. Bordeaux mixture, antibacterial emulsifiable concentrate for seed soaking, or metalaxyl-hymexazol and oxadixyl-cymoxanil can be used respectively for control. The most common insect pests include brown longhorn beetles, brown slug moths, and termites, which can be killed respectively with dichlorvos, trichlorfon, or mosquito-killing powder.
Wild Magnolia officinalis is a protected organism of the state, so if you want to plant and sell Magnolia officinalis, national approval is also required. I believe everyone has gained some understanding of Magnolia officinalis cultivation through the above. The editor hopes to help more people.