White magnolia, also known as white orchid and yellow horned orchid, is an evergreen tree and a fragrant flower. Its leaves are green in color, its flowers are as white as jade, and they are as fragrant as orchids. They have a long flowering period and can bloom all year round when the environmental conditions are suitable. However, it is afraid of drought, waterlogging, cold, and alkali, and is regarded as a delicate and difficult flower in the north.
1. Fertile, loose and well-drained culture soil is required. It can be prepared with 5 parts of pine needle leaf mold soil, 2 parts of coarse chaff ash, 2 parts of coarse sand, and 1 part of cooked manure. Avoid using fine sandy soil or heavy clay soil with poor air permeability. Use a well-ventilated earthenware pot (unfired pot) for the upper pot. Avoid using glazed pots, porcelain pots, purple sand pots, etc. It is best to use a deeper cylindrical flower pot, with an empty flower pot under the pot and elevated with bricks. To prevent poor drainage; lay about 5 cm of slag and gravel on the bottom of the basin.
2. The moisture should be appropriate. White orchids have fleshy roots. If the pot soil is too wet, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off, or even the roots will rot and die. If they are too dry, the leaves will wither and curl. They are flowers that are afraid of both waterlogging and drought. When the petals expand too much during the flowering period, it means there is insufficient water. If the water is appropriate, they will be in the shape of buds. If the surface of the pot soil is dry and the soil is hard and cracked, water it immediately. Watering requires that the water temperature and soil temperature must be consistent, and cold or hot water cannot be poured suddenly. Watering must be done thoroughly. Frequently watering half-way will cause shallow roots. White orchids should not be watered too much in spring and autumn. Watering should be done every day in midsummer and must be done in the evening. Watering should be reduced from late autumn to once every 10 days in winter. During the rainy season, it should be moved to a sheltered place.
3. Fear of alkali. White orchids like acidic soil and require a soil pH of 5.5-6.3. In the northern region, it is difficult to grow white orchids because most of the water and soil there are alkaline, which dissolves the protoplasm of the white orchid cells, resulting in delayed flower development and poor growth. Frequent irrigation with fermented rice water will have better results.
4. Fear of heavy fat. White orchids like phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, but avoid excessive concentration, otherwise reverse osmosis will occur and cause "physiological drought" in the plants, ranging from wilting to burning to death. The principle of fertilizing white orchids is: "Apply sparingly, apply often, and apply in the evening." Practice has proved that use thin human excrement, bean cake water, mixed with smashed fish offal, rotten shrimp, chicken offal, etc., after retting, apply it every 3-5 days according to the ratio of fertilizer to water 1:9. When mixed with calcium sulfate, the effect is better and the fragrance of white orchid can be strong.
5. Light: Magnolia is a positive flower and needs sufficient sunlight. During the growth period, it should be maintained on a sunny ground with long and strong sunlight, especially during the flowering period. The amount of light should not be less than 6 hours a day. If it is maintained in a shaded place, it will only grow leaves but no flowers, or there will be very few flowers. The branches will be slender, the leaves will be light-colored, and the leaves will be thin and dull, which is detrimental to growth. However, in the "dog days" of hot and high temperatures, it is necessary to provide moderate shade, avoid exposure to the scorching sun from 12 to 16 hours every day, and avoid high-temperature radiation from brick walls or cement floors. At this time, it is necessary not only to spray water on the plants to cool down, but also to water or spray water on the ground to cool down and increase air humidity.