How to grow Magnolia officinalis? A detailed explanation of planting methods and key technical points

Magnolia officinalis is a tree of the genus Magnolia, reaching a maximum height of about 20 meters, and is also known as wenpo. It is currently mainly cultivated in places such as Sichuan and Hubei in China, and is one of the wild plants under second-class national protection. Magnolia officinalis is also a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, referring mainly to the bark of the Magnolia officinalis tree. It can treat food stagnation with qi congestion, abdominal distension and constipation, dampness obstructing the middle jiao, epigastric stuffiness with vomiting and diarrhea, phlegm congestion with reversed qi, and chest fullness with wheezing and coughing. So how should Magnolia officinalis be planted? Let's take a look 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 sandy soil or loam with loose texture, moderate soil pH, and rich in humus. 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; after the soil thaws in spring, plow again, clean out impurities from the soil, and spread a layer of organic fertilizer or farmyard manure as base fertilizer. After spreading the base fertilizer, plow again to turn the base fertilizer into the soil, level the surface and make beds. The width of the beds is generally about 1 meter to 1.5 meters, and the bed height of about 10 to 15 cm is sufficient.

2. Propagation methods

There are three propagation methods for Magnolia officinalis, namely seed propagation, layering propagation, and cutting propagation. However, its layering propagation and cutting propagation techniques are not yet perfected, and seed propagation is still the most commonly used method. The sowing time is generally from the end of February to around mid-March each year. Before sowing, soak the seeds in water for about 1 to 2 days, then remove them and drain the water, and soak them in strong tea for another 1 to 2 days. After the seeds are prepared, sow them by the drill method, with a row spacing of about 25 to 30 cm and a plant spacing of about 5 to 10 cm.

3. Afforestation and transplanting

When the Magnolia officinalis seedlings grow to a height of 35 to 40 cm, they can be transplanted. Magnolia officinalis has a long growth period, and throughout its growth process it needs to go through multiple transplantings. The density for the first transplanting is generally a row spacing of 1 meter and a plant spacing of about 80 cm. The final planting density is a plant spacing of about 4 to 5 meters and a row spacing of about 6 to 8 meters.

4. Later-stage management

Later-stage 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. Fertilizer should be applied at least 1 to 2 times each 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. At least more than 2 intertillage and weeding operations should be carried out each year, along with more than 5 hilling and soil loosening operations. 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 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 harmful conditions caused by improper field management. They can be controlled by using Bordeaux mixture, seed soaking with antibacterial emulsifiable concentrate, or metalaxyl-hymexazol and oxadixyl-copper-cymoxanil respectively. The most common insect pests include brown longhorn beetles, brown nettle moths, and termites, which can be killed with dichlorvos, trichlorfon, or mosquito-killing powder respectively.

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 passage, and the editor hopes to help more people.