How to grow white michelia (Michelia alba)? Teaching you the correct cultivation methods

To grow white michelia well, you first need to understand its growth habits. White michelia prefers warmth and humidity, and does well with good ventilation and ample sunlight; it fears the cold and dislikes dampness, neither liking deep shade nor tolerating scorching sun. It puts out new shoots 3 times a year. Generally, the first is in late February, the second in mid-June, and the third in early August. Since it both grows and blooms after each flush, the flowering period lasts as long as 150 days.

White michelia is not cold-hardy, so before mid-October it should be moved indoors, placed in a sunny spot or in a greenhouse; keeping the room temperature above 10°C ensures it survives the winter safely, while around 5°C it easily drops leaves. When a cold wave arrives and the indoor temperature is only 2°C-3°C, the plant must be covered with a large plastic bag at night, with the rim of the pot tied with string, and the plastic bag removed the next day after the sun comes out. Control watering; the potting soil should be kept slightly dry, and when it is very dry, water at noon on a clear day. The time to move white michelia outdoors is generally after Qingming and before Guyu (early to mid-April). Moving it out too early may expose it to frost, damaging tender shoots and young leaves; moving it out too late means the branches and leaves have already sprouted indoors, easily producing thin leaves and weak branches, thus lowering its resistance. If growth is not vigorous, it is best to delay moving it out by half a month. After white michelia is moved outdoors, the bottom of the pot should be raised, to help drainage and avoid yellowing leaves, root rot, and similar problems.

Young white michelia plants are generally repotted once every 1-2 years, and after they grow larger they can be repotted once every 4-5 years. Repotting is generally done after the plant is moved outdoors, roughly between late April and early May. The potting soil is best a sandy soil rich in humus, well-drained and slightly acidic; you can mix 7 parts garden soil with 3 parts leaf mold or mountain soil. When repotting, only remove the rotten roots; there is no need to trim the roots or strip away the soil ball, and just add a little potting mix.

To grow white michelia well, you must also get watering right, because white michelia has fleshy roots and most fears waterlogging; the slightest carelessness in watering can cause disease or root rot. But it also fears drought: in summer, if watering is delayed even slightly, the leaf edges become scorched and may even burn the tender shoots. Poor growth and sallow leaf color are often caused by improper watering, and diseased plants are even harder to deal with. So watering must be strictly controlled, and if the potting soil is not dry, by no means water it. Summer and autumn are the peak growing seasons for white michelia; when the weather is hot and water demand is high, generally water thoroughly in the early morning, then in the evening, depending on how dry or moist the potting soil is, add a suitable supplementary watering. After mid-September, reduce the amount of water. In summer and autumn, do not let water accumulate in the pot after rain.

White michelia puts out new shoots 3 times a year, has a long flowering period, and consumes a lot of nutrients, so it needs frequent applications of topdressing to continuously replenish nutrients. Generally, after the plant begins to bloom, apply once every 7-10 days a 20% solution of fermented soybean cake water, fishy water, or chicken and duck manure water. In summer, applying fertilizer in the evening is better. Stop watering before applying, so the potting soil is somewhat dry. If the weather is muggy with a southwest wind, then it is not suitable to fertilize. When fertilizing, if you can mix 0.2% ferrous sulfate into the fertilizer solution, the leaf color can become even more emerald green. After the autumn cool in October, stop fertilizing.

In addition, to concentrate nutrients to promote tender shoots, produce more flower buds, and make the flowers plump and thick, white michelia should have its leaves removed. Leaves should be removed 2—3 times a year. The first time is done in the greenhouse, around the time of Lichun (early February). Before removing leaves, withhold water so the leaves soften and droop, then water thoroughly; after the plant revives, 2-3 days later, except for keeping 1—2 top leaves on the shoot tips to observe the dry-wet condition, remove all the other leaves; however, leaf removal is not suitable for diseased plants. The second leaf removal is done outdoors, generally around the time the summer flowers are almost finished blooming, around Liqiu, and how many leaves to remove depends on how robust the plant is; generally 1/2—2/3 of the leaves can be removed; leaf removal is also not suitable for diseased, non-vigorous plants. The third leaf removal is done after the autumn flowers and just before the plant enters the room, and only requires appropriately picking off some leaves.