What to pay attention to when growing white magnolia in the north
What aspects should be noted when growing white magnolia in the north.
How to grow white magnolia in the north
I. Choice of potting soil When choosing potting soil for white magnolia, two points should be noted: first, white magnolia has fleshy roots and likes soil with good permeability; second, white magnolia is a southern flower and likes acidic soil. In view of these two points, the author once used two groups of soil for a cultivation comparison. The first group used plain sandy soil commonly used in northern regions, and the second group used a cultivation soil made by mixing coarse river sand, sandy loam and leaf mold in a ratio of 1:1:1. After observation, under the same conditions of plant condition, water, fertilizer, light, temperature and so on, the second group grew better. It should be noted that northern soil is relatively alkaline, so when mixing the cultivation soil, an appropriate amount of ferrous sulfate or sulfur powder should be added to increase the acidity of the soil.
II. Water and fertilizer management When cultivating white magnolia in northern regions, watering is crucial. The essence of white magnolia liking a humid environment means that the air humidity is high, but the soil water content must not be too high. According to the author's experience, when watering white magnolia, in spring it can be watered thoroughly once a week, in summer once thoroughly in the morning and once in the evening every day, in autumn once thoroughly every 4 to 5 days, and in winter indoors once thoroughly about every 10 days. On cloudy or rainy days in summer, water less or do not water. It must never be exposed to rain. If it is exposed to rain, the accumulated water in the pot should be poured out in time, and the pot should be placed in a shaded and ventilated place. After the potting soil is slightly dry, the soil should also be loosened to facilitate water evaporation. In daily care, it should also be noted that no matter which season it is, as long as the surrounding temperature is above 10°C, the leaves should be misted. The method is: in winter once every 2 to 3 days, in spring and autumn once every 1 to 2 days, and in summer once in the morning and once in the afternoon every day. Northern water is relatively alkaline, and long-term use easily makes the soil alkaline, so it is best to use rainwater, snow water or ferrous sulfate water. However, rainwater and snow water are not easy to store. Usually, when watering with tap water, watering with ferrous sulfate water regularly (about every 10 days) will also prevent the plant from getting chlorosis.
When fertilizing white magnolia, two principles should be mastered: first, balanced nutrition; second, frequent application of thin fertilizer. Balanced nutrition means applying different fertilizers at different times according to the plant's different fertilizer needs. If this point is not mastered well, it will be unfavorable to plant growth and flowering. For example, some flower lovers apply nitrogen fertilizer during the summer flowering period, causing the plant's branches and leaves to grow excessively, lacking phosphorus elements, making it difficult to form flower buds. When fertilizing white magnolia, in early spring nitrogen fertilizer should be the main type, and in summer and autumn phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be the main type. In addition, when fertilizing, attention should also be paid to alternating the use of organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer, and they can also be mixed. Long-term application of inorganic fertilizer easily makes the potting soil compact, affecting root respiration. Organic fertilizers can include sesame paste residue, chicken manure, pigeon manure, and horse hoof slices commonly used as base fertilizer. Frequent application of thin fertilizer means that the amount of fertilizer applied at one time should not be too large; it should be applied less but often. According to the author's experience, for inorganic fertilizers such as urea, the amount used at one time is 5 grams to 10 grams; sesame paste residue, chicken manure and pigeon manure can be applied 50 grams at one time; alum fertilizer water and horse hoof water should be diluted with clear water at a ratio of 1:1 of the original liquid. It should be mentioned that organic fertilizer must be fully decomposed and fermented before use; raw fertilizer very easily causes root burn in plants. As for the frequency of fertilization, generally speaking, once every 15 days in spring and autumn, once every 10 days in summer (flowering period), and generally no fertilization in late autumn and winter.
III. Light and temperature control White magnolia does not have strict light requirements, but too strong or insufficient light is unfavorable to plant growth. Too strong light easily scorches the leaves, while insufficient light makes it difficult to form flower buds, and even if there are flowers, they are not fragrant. In spring, after the Mid-Autumn Festival and in winter, it should be placed in a place with sufficient sunlight so that it receives light. In summer and early autumn, it should be placed in a semi-shaded place, blocking 50% of the light, so that it receives sunlight before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m., avoiding direct exposure to the strong midday sun.
White magnolia likes a warm environment. When cultivated in the north, in spring it should be moved out of the shed after the temperature stabilizes around Grain Rain. In summer, as long as there is no strong light exposure and water can keep up, white magnolia is not afraid of high temperatures. After mid-October, it should be moved into the shed in time, because white magnolia is not tolerant of low temperatures below 5°C. In winter, the room temperature should be kept between 5°C and 15°C. Too low a temperature easily causes frostbite, while too high a temperature is not only unfavorable to the plant's dormancy, but also affects flowering the next year, and easily makes the plant suffer from pests and diseases. Some flower lovers are so eager to care for their flowers that they fear the flowers will freeze to death and place them close to a heat source, but the result is the opposite: the newly sprouted tender leaves easily fall off due to insufficient light, water and fertilizer, which not only consumes nutrients but also prevents normal growth. If the indoor temperature cannot meet the overwintering requirements, the method of covering the flowerpot with agricultural film can be used to solve the problem, so that the plant can overwinter safely.
IV. Repotting and pruning White magnolia is generally repotted once every 2 years. Each time it is repotted, a pot one size larger should be used. Repotting can be done after it is moved out of the shed in spring. New pots should be disinfected and tempered. The bottom of the pot should be made into a drainage layer with broken tiles. On the drainage layer, about 3 cm of cultivation soil should be spread, then 3 to 4 pieces of horse hoof slices should be placed as base fertilizer, and then another layer of cultivation soil should be spread. The plant should be knocked out of the original pot, and after cutting off dead roots and rotten roots, it should be placed into the new pot. After filling with soil layer by layer and pressing firm, water thoroughly immediately.
White magnolia has poor sprouting ability, and generally the vegetative branches are not pruned, but it is necessary to cut off dead branches and pest- and disease-infected branches. Properly removing some leaves during the bud stage is beneficial to bud formation, and can make the buds larger and the flowering period longer.
V. Pest and disease control Common diseases of white magnolia include anthracnose, leaf spot and chlorosis, and the main pests include red spider mites, scale insects and aphids. In daily care, in addition to strengthening water and fertilizer management and improving the plant's disease resistance, attention should also be paid to ventilation. If pests occur, when the number is small they can be removed by hand; when the number is large, 40% dicofol 1000-fold solution can be used to spray and kill red spider mites, and 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000-fold solution can be used to spray and kill scale insects and aphids. Anthracnose and leaf spot can be controlled with broad-spectrum fungicides such as chlorothalonil and carbendazim. Chlorosis can be controlled by spraying the leaves with 1/800 ferrous sulfate water.
The petals of white magnolia are white with a slight yellow tinge and have a strong fragrance. They are very common in daily life. In spring and winter, as long as the temperature is suitable, white magnolia will continue to bloom, but the fragrance is not as rich as that of summer flowers.
White magnolia is a famous fragrant flower tree species with a very long flowering period. In South China it can be cultivated outdoors in gardens or used as a street tree, while in North China it is grown in pots for ornamental purposes.
White magnolia likes a sunny, warm, hot and humid climate and is very intolerant of cold. It is best grown in slightly acidic sandy loam rich in humus and with good drainage. The roots are fleshy and fear waterlogging. It is propagated by cuttings, air layering, grafting and sowing. For grafting, magnolia is used as the rootstock, carried out in June, and it heals in about 90 days. Air layering is also carried out in June, and roots form in about 60 days. If cultivated with alkaline soil in the north, black alum should be mixed in to help acidification. Watering should not be excessive, otherwise it easily causes root rot. In winter, the greenhouse should maintain about 12°C and water should be controlled. Repot once every 1 to 2 years.
When planting white magnolia in the north, the following points should be noted.
(1) Do a good job of cold protection and warmth preservation. In winter, the indoor temperature during the day should be maintained above 12°C, and at night not lower than 5°C. Only with air circulation and keeping the potting soil moist can it overwinter safely.
(2) Move it outdoors around the Beginning of Summer, and place it in a sunny and ventilated place. Sunlight exposure needs to be more than 6 hours. Only with sufficient light can it grow well; insufficient light will cause leggy growth, fewer flowers or even no flowers. In the hot midsummer season, when sunlight is strong, it should be slightly shaded to avoid scorching the leaves and tender stems.