How to grow potted white magnolia (Michelia alba)? Detailed care methods and tips
White magnolia (Michelia alba) is a tree in the Magnoliaceae family, Michelia genus, obtained from a natural cross between Magnolia champaca and Michelia montana. It is an evergreen native plant growing in South China, Southwest China and Southeast Asia, generally reaching a height of 10-13 m. White magnolia likes light, hates waterlogging, is not cold-tolerant, and also fears high temperatures; it is suited to slightly acidic soil. It loves a dry environment and hates low humidity; waterlogged planting sites easily cause root rot. It likes fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy soil, and can also grow in weakly alkaline soil.
How should potted white magnolia (Michelia alba) be grown
1. Choice of flowerpot and soil: For growing white magnolia (Michelia alba) in a home pot, choose loose soil with strong air permeability and rich in humus. Usually choose a breathable clay pot, purple clay pot (or jar), or a plastic pot with more drainage holes in the bottom. The soil in the pot should preferably contain a certain amount of granular soil of varying sizes, to facilitate water seepage and air flow.
2. How to repot: According to the size of the white magnolia's canopy and the length of its age, replace it with a pot or jar of appropriate size, to help the plant grow vigorously. When doing this, wait until the potting soil is slightly dry, slowly tilt the pot (or jar) (or turn it upside down), support the pot with one hand, hold the plant firmly with the other, tip the white magnolia out and move it into the new pot. The new pot (or jar) should first be lined with a small amount of loose soil, then water thoroughly, and it is settled once planted.
3. Planting position: From March to April each year, move the pot or jar containing the white magnolia outdoors and place it in a sunny spot. In summer, when temperatures are high, use a shade net as appropriate or build a simple shade shed, so that the white magnolia can both receive the morning sun and avoid the strong light of summer afternoons (so as to prevent the branches and leaves from being scorched by intense sun).
4. Pruning: For potted white magnolia, choose a suitable height, use pruning shears to cut off the terminal bud and shorten some side branches. After the terminal bud is cut off, it helps produce more side branches, more flower buds and more flowers.
5. Fertilizing: During the vigorous growth period of white magnolia (usually May to June or July to August each year), apply flower fertilizer to the white magnolia about once every half a month, or apply a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer at around 20, 2 g to 6 g each time. The specific procedure is: first use a small iron shovel to scratch a few vertical and horizontal small furrows in the soil in the pot, then slowly scatter the fertilizer into the furrows, then cover it with the surface soil in the pot, and water a little. Let the fertilizer gradually penetrate to the plant's roots with each watering. Never scatter the fertilizer directly onto the roots, to avoid "burning the roots" caused by excessive fertilizer effect in the soil around the roots. Apply light fertilizer frequently; cake fertilizer is best. Do not fertilize in winter. From after new buds sprout until June, water with fertilizer solution once every 3-4 days; from July to September, water with fertilizer solution once every 5-6 days; after applying fertilizer several times, stop applying it once.
6. Watering: Whether watering is done properly is the key to caring well for white magnolia. White magnolia should not be watered too frequently or too much. The correct watering method should be: moisten the soil in the pot thoroughly in one go, and when the soil in the pot is slightly dry, there is no need to water. Remember not to water every day, but you can often use a small spray bottle to spray water on the leaves. In summer, water thoroughly no fewer than three or four times a month (plus spraying water on the leaves). An easier method to grasp is: as soon as you see the white magnolia's leaves drooping, it is time to water. In autumn, water thoroughly two or three times a month; in winter, water thoroughly once or twice a month. Because the root system is fleshy, it fears waterlogging and is not tolerant of dryness. In spring, after moving it outdoors, water thoroughly once, then water thoroughly once every other day; in summer, water once in the morning and once in the evening, and in very dry conditions spray water on the leaf surface; in autumn, water once every 2-3 days; in winter, reduce watering, as long as the potting soil is slightly moist; after rain, promptly pour off accumulated water.
7. Temperature: It is not cold-tolerant. Except in South China, in other regions it must be brought indoors for care in winter, and the minimum room temperature should be kept above 5°C. The suitable time to move it outdoors is from Qingming to Guyu.