Complete Guide to Growing Michelia figo in Pots

Michelia figo is an evergreen shrub with a height of 2-7 m, many branches, and a dense growth habit. Its leaves are glossy, ovate-elliptic or long-elliptic, with green foliage and fragrant flowers. The flowers are small and upright, and depending on the variety they vary in size and range from white to creamy yellow, with a long flowering period. The peak blooming period is from April to June, the flowers have 6 petals, and the petal edges often carry a purple tinge. It is shade-tolerant and can be planted north of buildings, under trees, or grown in pots indoors for viewing. The flower buds of Michelia figo contain aromatic oil and can be used medicinally. Besides its ornamental and medicinal uses, Michelia figo can also resist chlorine gas, so it is also a good tree species for greening industrial and mining areas.

1. Select healthy current-year semi-lignified branches of Michelia figo as cuttings, cut the cut surface smooth, keep a heel at the base, the cutting length should be 5-8 cm, and leave 2-3 leaf buds on top. Insert the cuttings into acidic sandy soil with a pH value between 5.5-6.0, and the insertion depth of the cuttings should be 3-4 cm.

2. Soak the above Michelia figo cuttings in a 400-500 ppm naphthalene acetic acid solution for 8-10 hours,

3. Insert the above soaked Michelia figo cuttings into fertile, loose, well-drained acidic sandy soil for Michelia figo cutting propagation. The time for Michelia figo cutting propagation should be carried out in July-August, and the duration of cutting propagation is 8-9 months.

4. Transplant the Michelia figo propagated from the above cuttings into prepared flower pots,

5. Carry out maintenance and management of the above potted Michelia figo. Maintenance and management of potted Michelia figo refers to: (1) watering, water once a day in spring and summer and once every 3 days in autumn and winter, (2) fertilizing, apply alum fertilizer to Michelia figo, fertilize once every 15 days from March to October, and fertilize once a month in other months, (3) pruning, frequently prune the shoot tips, which can achieve flowering in three seasons of the year except winter, (4) repotting, potted Michelia figo can be repotted once a year, preferably before new leaves emerge in spring, (5) because Michelia figo is not cold-tolerant, potted Michelia figo should be cultivated at a temperature of 10 degrees or above.