Magnolia stellata Rosea С12 l (80-100 cm) – F-000905

If you wanted to grow a magnolia in your summer cottage, and it is in the middle lane, you need to be prepared for many unforeseen situations. For example, even after I studied the peculiarities of growing this exotic plant up and down, after planting the most important and unexpected surprise awaited me – the magnolia on my garden plot behaved completely differently from what I imagined after reading many articles on growing …
Magnolia in the Samara region. July 2020 As it turned out, blindly following care instructions may well lead not to prosperity, but rather to the death of a magnolia. And now I understand perfectly well that if a thermophilic plant is to grow in the middle lane, then the “laws of the south” on cultivation may not work here. Therefore, it is very useful, I would even say it is vitally important, in addition to general information, to collect practical reviews or reports on plant cultivation in the middle lane, that is, in conditions as similar as possible to yours. Obviously, all of the above applies not only to magnolias, but also to other exotic plants, some of which are also capable of growing in harsher conditions.

After the rain

I wrote about the successful cultivation of two varieties of magnolias in the open field at my dacha in the Samara region in the articles Magnolia where it does not grow, but Beauty Magnolia is also worth a try – the melody of the soul. The second year of flowering. In them you can learn about some interesting features of these wonderful plants and see beautiful photos (also in the comments) of blooming magnolias.

Now, after several years of leaving, it will be very useful to dwell in more detail on the main “pitfalls” in order to collect together the especially important points in caring for magnolias in the middle lane, which were most clearly identified for me from my own experience. Some of them can help not only grow, but also preserve this beautiful plant in completely unpredictable weather conditions in recent years. And as a result – to see her magical bloom.

Magnolia

Selection of seedlings

In the open field, it is worth growing varieties with the highest winter hardiness . On my site, at the moment, the following varieties were able to winter in open ground with a small shelter for the winter (and even without it – more mature):

• Magnolia Siebold,
• Magnolia Lebner (Leonard Messel),
• Magnolia Cobus,
• Magnolia star-shaped Royal Star,
• Magnolia hybrid George Henry Kern.

All of them winter well in the open ground with a small shelter of spruce branches in the form of a house strapping and without much damage withstood in winter the temperature drop below 30 degrees or more. Magnolia Cobus after the second wintering. Spring 2020 Magnolia George Henry Kern in spring Once again looking at the mesmerizing photos of blooming magnolias, I caught myself thinking that no matter what magnolia you look at, everyone is gorgeous! And my hands trembled again … As a result, after much thought for planting next year, I chose the following varieties:

• magnolia wilson (white flowers),
• hybrid magnolia Butterflies (yellow flowers),
• Magnolia hybrid Yellow lantern (yellow flowers),
• magnolia hybrid Cameo (pink flowers).

Time will tell whether my expectations from these varieties will come true. This time has already shown that such magnolias as Soulange and lily f. Nigra could not overwinter under similar conditions. Thus, the difference in frost resistance of only 5 degrees very significantly narrows the range of varieties that should be chosen for planting in the middle lane. Therefore, for open ground when planting in our region, the frost resistance of the variety within the range of up to minus 25 degrees of degrees will not be enough . In addition, fierce and little snowy winters have not been canceled either.
Magnolia Star-shaped after late spring frosts

A seedling for planting in open ground should be with a closed root system (ZKS). Magnolia reacts extremely negatively to transplantation with an open root system (ACS) due to the fragility of delicate roots and a very slow adaptation to a new place. Even a well-developed plant, after transplanting to a new place, may soon die. That is why you need to plant magnolia immediately in a permanent place .

Magnolia stellata

Author: Anatoly Orlov

Discovered in 1835, described in 1872. Presumably, it is a dwarf multi-petal form of M. kobus , however, the former name remains in the nomenclature.

Deciduous low compact shrub or small tree with a spherical crown, up to 2.5 m high × 3.5 m. D crown. Branches are brown-gray, thin, glabrous. Young shoots and buds are densely covered with hairs. Flower buds 2.5-3 cm long, pubescent with silk fibers.

Leaves are narrowly elliptical, oblong-ovate or oblong-oval, 5-12 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, bluntly pointed or notched at the apex with a wedge-shaped base. The top is dark green, naked, shiny.

Its flowers are remarkable with a pleasant delicate aroma, 8-10 cm in diameter, with numerous 12-24 (33), ribbon-like, elongated, snow-white petals 4-6.5 cm long × 0.6-2 cm wide. directed in all directions – radially due to which the flower has the shape of a star. It blooms when t reaches + 15 ° C long before the leaves appear, longer and earlier than all magnolias, better and longer in partial shade. Seeds in coral red flesh.

Naturally grows in Japan, about. Honshu, in the humid mountain forests. Introduced in America since 1961, in Europe since 1877. Cultivated in the western regions of Ukraine and Kiev, where it is relatively resistant to winter conditions. In Vladivostok, it turned out to be not very winter-hardy, but it is necessary to continue the experiment. Intraspecific variability will most likely reveal winter-hardy specimens. Currently, we have planted in a permanent place plants grown from seeds of Polish reproduction at the age of 5 years in the amount of 2 copies. They proved to be quite persistent in local conditions.

General view of a flowering bush

The most graceful of magnolias, very effective in single planting and small groups on the lawn or in complex groups of tall magnolias. This is one of the most graceful early flowering magnolias, meeting the spring with abundant flowering. Decorative during budding and, especially in bloom, when numerous flowers densely cover a low compact bush, for which it received one of the names – “Snow Globe”. Blooms annually and abundantly. It grows slowly.

The only pity is that she is inferior in frost resistance to her closest relative, Magnolia, the cobus . Although the successful experience of its cultivation in the Moscow region is known. Has two decorative forms: pink (f. Rosea) and Keysky (f. Keiskeis) – a highly branched bush with smaller purple flowers outside. Today, many cultivars and garden forms are known, differing in the number and color of petals, as well as in the habit of the bush. “Susan” is a hybrid of lily and star magnolia.

Place and time for boarding

1. Time has shown that magnolia thrives in places most protected from the wind . There she develops and blooms well.
2. Open sunny areas, which are favorable for the plant in the homeland of growth, were undesirable when planting in the middle lane. In dry and hot summers, magnolia (young plants) in full sun for a week can completely shed their foliage (which I have seen twice) even with mulching. Moreover, increased watering in this case can only aggravate the situation: then the plant will lose almost all of its mass, leaving one or two lower branches, or even dry out completely.
3. Magnolia at a young age needs partial shade from the sun for 1 / 3-1 / 2 daylight hours. You need to plant it either on level ground or on a very small hill. You cannot plant magnolias in a completely shaded place, there the plants will develop too slowly and poorly (the annual growth can be only 5-7 cm), and the bark will not be prepared for the winter period.
4. As it turned out, the soil for landing can be either looser and breathable (composite), or completely left unchanged. In the latter case, watering is done in about half the amount and only late in the evening .
5. Planting time of young seedlings – Spring . With a summer or autumn planting, the bark of annual branches will most likely not ripen and in winter the plant may die or completely discard the weakest branches. For young seedlings, this is destructive.
6. Mature trees growing nearby can oppress magnolias and significantly slow down their growth.

Young magnolias in an open area should be partially shaded.

Watering and loosening

In the very first year, it became clear to me that in no case should the root system of a magnolia be waterlogged , although it is believed that magnolia “cannot be whipped”. Abundant watering does not harm already matured plants, but not young ones. In young magnolias, the roots simply rot from excess moisture in the cool period, even in loose and breathable soil. In the hot period, when waterlogged, the roots will simply “weld” in the ground, since most of them are located superficially. In addition, the tender (one- or even two-year-old) bark of the young magnolia , which has absorbed an excessive amount of moisture in the heat, suffers greatly from sunburn. The following picture is observed: in the place of the burn, the bark dries up, and then within a week it gradually dries up and the entire green branch above the burn.
Siebold magnolia leaf

The foliage is an indicator of the need for more watering for me . If they have a bright color (it can be green in adults and initially green or brown-red in young leaves of some varieties), then it is enough to moisturize the ground around the magnolia (3-5 liters of water).

Young Lebner Magnolia Leaves

If the color of the leaves fades or begins to go into green-yellow shades, watering must be done in an increased volume (5-7 liters).

I water magnolias once every 1-2 weeks exclusively in the evening . Loosening is done not often and to a depth of only 1-2 cm, usually I limit myself to manual weeding.

Periodically remove weeds from under the plant

Growing rules

For the abundant flowering of magnolia, it is necessary to provide proper care.

Important! The root system of the plant is very sensitive, fragile and is located in close proximity to the surface of the earth. That is why loosening the soil and weeding with a hoe is contraindicated. Usually the weeds are pulled out by hand.

Watering

The ideal air humidity for star magnolia is 55 – 65%, however, in a temperate climate, growing a plant in an open field, it is not possible to achieve such indicators. Due to its high adaptive abilities, the shrub can survive in drier climates, but it does not respond well to prolonged drought.

During the hot, sultry summer, it is necessary to provide the magnolias with regular abundant watering as the soil dries out. You should not overmoisten the soil: the shrub is sensitive to excess moisture and stagnant water.

Advice! To retain moisture in the soil layer by reducing evaporation, as well as to reduce the frequency of watering, mulching the soil with pine bark, sawdust or grass will help.

Additional fertilizing

Star magnolia is fed with universal mineral fertilizers. During the season, fertilizing is recommended monthly or once every couple of months. To do this, a weakly concentrated solution, diluted according to the instructions, is introduced into the soil during watering. In a similar way, the plant is fed for the first five years of life.

In the event that the soil is alkaline, it is important to control the level of iron in it. Due to its lack, a disease such as chlorosis can develop. That is why the bushes are periodically (once a week) fed with iron chelate.

Trimming

Star magnolia does not require pruning, as the crown of the bush is compact and has a beautiful natural shape. However, preventive procedures to remove dry, damaged and non-viable branches of the plant are still necessary.

Preparation for winter

Despite the fact that the star magnolia is highly winter-hardy, in regions with harsh winters, the underground parts of the plant can still freeze. To prevent this from happening, at the end of autumn, before the onset of the first frosts, the root zone must be covered with a layer of mulch about 40 cm thick.For young bushes, as a rule, they additionally create a shelter made of burlap, agrofibre or ordinary dense fabric.

Star magnolia is threatened not only by frosts, but also during thaws, when early warming, buds begin to bloom on the shoots, which can die during a sharp cold snap.

Trimming and shaping

I only prune the dried twigs from the magnolia and do it in spring . At the same time or at the beginning of summer, cuttings can be taken from an adult plant for rooting, which I am also going to try in the near future. It is necessary not to form a magnolia , otherwise potentially stronger branches can be removed, and the seedling will slow down in development. Magnolia itself chooses the most favorable format for growing in a new area and will be formed at its discretion in the form of a tree or multi-stem bush.
Bush form

Shelter

It is imperative to shelter magnolias for the winter in the first few years of their life, gradually weakening the shelter, depending on the development of the seedling. Do not wrap them tightly with covering material, following the example of conifers, since magnolias have rather fragile branches, and in this way you can damage a large number of them, and some of them can then dry completely. Shelter for a small magnolia
Shelter for the winter for a large magnolia

For myself, I have determined that the best shelter is a frame type with spruce branches and an open top . Such a shelter will protect the plant from strong winds and harden it, since the magnolia will also be in the real weather conditions of your region in winter. The trunk circle for the winter should also be covered with matured magnolias, in order to avoid damage to the root system in winters with little snow.

Leave the top of the shelter open

Over time, the frost resistance of magnolias increases, and the amount of spruce branches can be reduced. Magnolia Siebold has already overwintered for one year completely without shelter.

Flowering

Do not completely remove the winter protection too early, otherwise some flower buds that started in late April – early May may die from recurrent frosts. Lebner’s magnolia flower bud
Young, faded magnolias usually shed their seed cones in extreme heat. I would very much like to get seeds from a cone and plant them in open ground before winter. Perhaps, in years with a long and smooth warm period, by the middle (end) of October, a small number of seeds will still be able to form in the cone.

Early Magnolia Seed Cone

In years with a cold spring, magnolias are able to shift the flowering period to a later date, which I observed in the past season. In particular, Siebold’s magnolia bloomed in mid-May in 2020, and only in early July in 2020, with a cold spring and early summer. To put it mildly, I was very surprised. In underdeveloped and weakest plants, it is useful to remove flower buds of the first year.

Methods of reproduction

There are several ways to breed a star magnolia:

• sowing seeds;
• cuttings;
• layering;
• vaccinations.

Advice! The most effective way to propagate star magnolia is by cuttings.

The plant is rarely propagated by seeds, since this process takes too long. Seed-grown star magnolia will only begin blooming closer to its tenth year of life.

Vegetative propagation methods such as cuttings and layering are less labor intensive and produce better results. Reproduction by grafting is a rather complicated method that only experienced gardeners can handle.