How much do white michelia seeds cost? Detailed planting methods

White michelia, also known as white Burmese flower, Burmese osmanthus, white yulan magnolia, etc., is an evergreen tree of the genus Michelia in the magnolia family. It is mostly planted as a street tree. Its flowers can be used to extract essence or scent tea, and can also be processed into a concrete for medicinal use. It is cultivated extensively in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places in China, and is mostly grown in pots in the provinces and regions of the Yangtze River basin. Let us take a look at white michelia seed prices and planting methods below!

How much do white michelia seeds cost?

White michelia seeds generally cost 30 to 50 yuan per jin. In production, white michelia is commonly propagated by layering and grafting, and is rarely propagated by seed. Its plant form is upright and branching, graceful and poised. In the south it can be grown outdoors in courtyards, while in the north it can be grown in pots to decorate courtyards, halls and meeting rooms. Small and medium-sized plants can be placed in living rooms and studies. However, because it fears smoke, it should be placed in a spot with circulating air. Besides being enjoyed for both its flowers and leaves, as an aromatic plant it can also serve as a source of spice and medicine.

Propagation methods of white michelia

1. Sowing propagation: White michelia is sown at the end of September or the beginning of October. The seeds are soaked in wood ash water for 1 to 2 days, the waxy aril is rubbed off, and after washing clean with clear water they can be sown, sprouting in about 20 days. The seeds can also be washed clean, stratified with moist sand, refrigerated and then sown.

2. Simple layering: This is best done in February to March. Cut halfway through the base of the branch to be layered, then cut upward a further section, insert a piece of tile in the middle, gently press it into the soil and secure it, then heap soil on top. Once root buds appear, it can be cut off and planted separately.

3. Air layering: Before the dog days of summer, select vigorous, disease-free young branches. Cut a slit below the branching point, wrap it with a bamboo tube or a bottomless clay pot, fill it with potting soil, tie it tightly on the outside with fine string, and keep it moist. New roots will grow around May of the following year.

4. Approach grafting: This can be done throughout the growing season, mostly in April to July, and the best position is 70 cm above the ground. After binding, wrap it with a ball of mud and cover the outside with leaves to prevent rain from washing it away. It can be cut off after about 60 days.

5. Cut grafting: In mid to late September, select well-developed branches as scions. The cut surfaces of the rootstock and scion should be tightly joined, bound with plastic film strips, smeared with mud, and the scion buried with soil, keeping the soil moist.

Planting methods of white michelia

1. Soil: White michelia prefers acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.3. It is best to use fertile, loose, well-drained potting soil, which can be made from 5 parts pine needle leaf mold, 2 parts coarse chaff ash, 2 parts coarse sand and 1 part rotted manure. Avoid fine sandy soil or heavy clay soil with poor air permeability.

2. Sunlight: White yulan magnolia is a sun-loving flower and needs plenty of sunlight. During the growing period it should be cared for in a sunny spot with long daylight and strong light, especially during the flowering period. It needs no less than 6 hours of light per day, but direct sunlight should be avoided in summer.

3. Temperature: White michelia likes warmth and fears cold, so special care must be taken to help it overwinter safely. Generally it is moved indoors in late October and placed in a sunny spot, with room temperature kept at around 10°C, and it must not go below 5°C.

4. Watering: White michelia has fleshy roots. If the potting soil is too wet, the leaves will turn yellow and drop, and the roots may even rot and kill the plant; if too dry, the leaf tips will wither and the leaves will curl. It is a flower that fears both waterlogging and drought. When watering, the water temperature and soil temperature must be the same, and cold or hot water must not be poured on suddenly.

5. Fertilizing: White michelia likes fertilizer. If fertilizer is insufficient, it will bloom less; if fertilizer is applied at the wrong time, branches and leaves will grow excessively and flowering will be poor. Before new buds sprout in February to March, apply rotted cake fertilizer as a base fertilizer. During the flowering period, apply dilute human waste. Stop fertilizing half a month before moving it indoors to overwinter.

6. Pruning: During the growth of white michelia, the plant should be shaped and pruned by cutting off diseased, dead and excessively vigorous branches and removing some lower leaves, so as to restrain the plant's growth and promote more flower buds and more blooms.

7. Pests and diseases: The pests and diseases of white michelia include chlorosis, anthracnose, red spider mites, scale insects and so on. For anthracnose, a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder can be used. Once scale insects are found, they can be scraped off with a bamboo strip. Red spider mites can be controlled with a 1000-fold dilution of 20% tetradifon.