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Magnolia Siebold is a deciduous, short shrub with small fragrant and snow-white flowers. Belongs to the Magnolia family. The culture can often be found in gardens, alleys and parks. This type of magnolia is one of the most frost-resistant, it can be grown in almost any region of Russia.
Description of Siebold's magnolia
The culture grows in the form of a shrub or a short tree. Its height does not exceed 8 m. The crown is lush, spreading out, in diameter it can reach 7-8 m.
The trunk is thin, bending, covered with dark gray bark. The branches are long, thin, almost naked, the bark on them is light, gray. Young shoots are densely covered with fluff; over time, they become naked and smooth.
The leaves have an oval-elongated shape, their surface is smooth, glossy. In length they grow up to 15 cm, in width - up to 8 cm. The tip of the leaf is pointed, the base is rounded, the edge is even, slightly wavy. The upper side of the leaf is dark green, the lower is gray. Young leaves are slightly pubescent.
How Siebold's magnolia blooms
As soon as the leaves bloom in mid-May, the shrub immediately blooms. This period is short: by June, Siebold's magnolia will bloom. May release several buds in August.
The flowers that have just blossomed are in the shape of a bowl, after a few days they will begin to resemble a saucer. The diameter of the flower does not exceed 10 cm, the number of petals ranges from 6 to 9 pieces. They are wide, pointed to the edge, concave. The length of one petal can be 6 cm, width - 4 cm. In the center of the flower are stamens, dark pink and red. There are many buds on the magnolia bush, it is literally dotted with them. The aroma of flowers is intense, bright and fresh.
Reproduction methods
Siebold's magnolia can be easily propagated by cuttings, cuttings and seeds.
Magnolia seeds are propagated even at home. Saplings suitable for rooting in the garden can be obtained one year after sowing.
The shrub is bred by layering and cuttings in the first few years of life. This increases the chances of getting a healthy, fast-growing plant. The shrub is propagated by layering in spring, cuttings - at the end of June. Both methods are considered effective for breeding Siebold's magnolia.
Planting and caring for Siebold's magnolia
For planting, choose a strong, well-developed seedling, at least half a meter in height. Its rhizome should be closed.
Recommended timing
It is recommended to plant a shrub in the fall - from the end of September to the end of October. During this period, the tree falls asleep, the movement of juices stops, and the seedling painlessly transfers rooting in a new place. Also, during this period, there is no longer the sweltering heat, but the frost has not yet come.
Site selection and soil preparation
In the Moscow region, planting and caring for Siebold's magnolia is carried out in well-lit, draft-protected areas. It is important that the planting site is not located in a lowland, and groundwater does not run under it: the culture does not tolerate waterlogged soils.
In the south, in Primorye, the planting and care of Siebold's magnolia is carried out in slightly shaded areas protected from the wind. It is important to protect the crop from drafts, direct sunlight and excess moisture.
Do not plant Siebold's magnolia on calcareous, sandy, waterlogged soils.To reduce the acidity level, the soil is dug up with the introduction of peat.
How to plant correctly
Siebold's magnolia is planted in holes 3 times larger than the rhizome of the grown shrub. The earth that remains after digging a hole is mixed with humus in equal parts. If the soil is dense and heavy, you need to add 3 times less sand than the entire volume of the excavated soil.
Landing Algorithm:
- The plant is placed in a planting hole, while making sure that the root collar remains above the soil level.
- Sprinkle the roots of the seedling with a soil mixture, you should not throw a lot of earth - a small depression should form around the tree trunk.
- After the plant is watered abundantly.
As soon as all the moisture goes into the ground, the trunk circle is mulched with sawdust.
Growing rules
After planting, Siebold's magnolia will practically not grow during the year, but during this period it needs regular care. Top dressing, watering, sanitary pruning will only accelerate the growth of the seedling.
Watering
Magnolia Siebold grows and develops on moist soils, responds well to regular watering. It is especially important in the summer to prevent the earthen coma from drying out. To preserve the precious moisture at the root, after each watering, the trunk circle is mulched.
Top dressing
A plant up to 2 years old is not pampered with fertilizing. As soon as the magnolia crosses this line, it should be fertilized.
The first top dressing is applied in early spring, the next - in the middle of summer, the process is completed in September. The first April top dressing is easy to do: you need to mulch the trunk circle with humus or rotted horse manure. Together with spring rains, such fertilizer will easily get to the root of the Siebold bush.
As subsequent dressings, ammonium nitrate, urea or organic fertilizers are used. They are bred in water and poured with a nutritious mixture under the root of the tree.
You can also use complex mineral fertilizers for flowering crops. All elements in them are balanced and well stimulate the growth and flowering of Siebold's magnolia.
Pruning
Siebold's magnolia is pruned in early spring before bud formation. First, all frozen, damaged, dry processes are cut off. Then you can carry out a shaping pruning, removing the old strongly overgrown branches that are knocked out of the general order. On large shoots, the cut sites must be treated with garden pitch, otherwise the magnolia will not tolerate pruning well, it will hurt for a long time.
Preparing for winter
The rhizome of Siebold's magnolia can withstand frosts down to -30 ° C, but the ground part of the plant and especially the buds may suffer. Saplings up to 3 years old are especially vulnerable. With age, Siebold's magnolia becomes more frost-hardy.
To protect the young plant at the end of October and in November, a structure like a hut of thin slats or boards is erected above the bush. Previously, all branches are collected with twine. A canvas bag is put on top of the structure or wrapped in any other covering fabric.
Low Siebold seedlings can be covered with a larger wooden box. Previously, its walls are pasted over with thick cardboard.
Pests and diseases
Often Siebold's magnolia suffers from rodents. Moles dig into its roots, and mice gnaw the trunk, especially wounding the root collar. At the first signs of the appearance of such pests in the garden, traps are placed, and the damaged parts of the shrub are treated with a solution of foundationol (1%).
During periods of heat and prolonged drought, spider mites can become active. If the leaves of the magnolia turn yellow, and a cobweb has appeared between them, it means that the pest has already settled in the greenery of the bush. It sucks the juices from the ground part of the plant, literally in a month Siebold's magnolia can disappear. To prevent this from happening, the bush is sprayed with a solution of laundry soap, then treated with insecticides.
The culture is disease resistant but can suffer from chlorosis. This is a consequence of an overabundance of lime in the soil. In this case, the leaves are covered with rusty spots, and the veins on them remain green. To remedy the situation, peat or soil from the forest where conifers grow is introduced into the soil around the magnolia.
Conclusion
Magnolia Siebold is a beautiful flowering shrub that can be cultivated almost anywhere in Russia. In the southern regions, already in April, you can enjoy its snow-white flowers and intoxicating lemon-vanilla aroma. In the center and in the Moscow region, the magnolia Ziboldaza blooms in May. Rumors about the capriciousness of this culture are greatly exaggerated. It is simple to take care of it; it does not require special growing conditions and maintenance of magnolia.