Magnolia — magnificent plant which symbolizes female charm, spring, nobility and purity. It has received the name in honor of the famous botanist Pierre Maniol. Still until recently was considered that the magnolia can grow only in the southern regions, but there were now grades which gardeners with success grow up even in midland.
The magnolia is one of the brightest representatives of magnolia family which part more than 70 types are. The plant is really magnificent. The tree has the spherical or pyramidal shape, and in height it reaches on average 5-8 m. Smart and large flowers with delicate aroma, depending on grade, can be painted in white, pink, purple, red and lilac shade.
How to plant magnolia
For landing of magnolia choose the best site, it has to be protected from winds and drafts, and the soil should not be heavy, rehumidified and sandy. It is necessary to grow up magnificent plant on the solar place with light fertile soil.
It is necessary to plant magnolia to the open ground in the fall when saplings stop the growth. Landing is recommended to be made at the end of September or the middle of October, approximately a month before the beginning of hard frosts. Experienced gardeners do not advise to carry out landing of magnolia in the spring as returnable frosts can ruin young plant.
The landing hole for magnolia is required to be prepared in advance. Its size have to exceed the size of root system three times. When digging opening it is necessary to throw back fertile layer in one party, and less nutritious soil — in another. After that the top layer of the earth is mixed with well rerotting compost in the ratio 2:1, add a little clean coarse-grained sand and fill up this nutritious substrate on bottom of landing hole.
The sapling of magnolia is established on the center, straighten roots and filled up with earth mix so that the root neck was over soil level. Substrate is condensed and form hole around tree and humidify the soil. Soil is covered with bark of coniferous plants.
How to look after magnolia
The charming magnolia is very exacting to soil moisture, especially a lot of water is required to sapling in the first three years after disembarkation to the constant place. Water tree it is frequent and abundant, without allowing substrate drying. Gardeners advise to keep moisture by means of mulching. Manipulation is carried out after watering. Damp soil in pristvolny circle is filled up with the dried-up mowed grass and bark of hvoynik. This agrotechnical reception also allows to contain magnolia roots in heat and is source of nutrients for exotic plant.
There are winter-hardy grades of magnolia which are capable to transfer frosts to-25 degrees (it is magnolia star-shaped and kobus), but despite this it is the best of all to cover the southerner for the winter. For this purpose the trunk is wound with burlap in 2 layers, and the pristvolny circle is covered with fir twigs.
Cutting of magnolia is carried out in the spring to blooming of kidneys. It is necessary to delete the branches which have frozen slightly, dried up and crossing in krone. Places of cuts should be covered with the garden thief.