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Magnolia Sulange is a small tree that invariably attracts attention during the flowering period. This crop is strongly associated with southern nature, so many gardeners believe that it is impossible to grow it in a colder climate. With the right choice of variety and compliance with certain conditions in latitudes with cold winters, you can get an amazingly beautiful tree.
Description of magnolia Sulange
The Sulanzha variety is one of the most spectacular varieties of magnolias.Depending on the subspecies, Sulanja magnolia is a tree or shrub 2–10 m in height with a loose spherical crown. Magnolia Soulange is characterized by a short trunk with branches growing almost from the ground. The leaf blade is light green, large, matte, smooth on the surface, pubescent on the underside. In autumn the leaves fall.
This variety is characterized by moderate winter hardiness, which increases with the age of the plant. At very low winter temperatures, sometimes flower buds freeze, but this does not affect the health of the tree.
Another advantage of the variety is its resistance to environmental pollution, thanks to which the plant can be used for landscaping large cities and planted on the territory of industrial enterprises.
How magnolia Soulange blooms
The flowering of magnolia Soulange is incredibly spectacular: in April or May, even before the foliage appears, large flowers up to 25 cm in diameter with a pleasant aroma bloom on the tree. The corollas of flowers of this variety are cup- or goblet-shaped and can be white, pink or red. Two-tone coloring is also available. Magnolia Sulange blooms abundantly and long-lasting, beginning at a young age.
Types and varieties of magnolia Sulange
Magnolia variety Soulangeana was obtained by the French breeder Etienne Soulange as a result of crossing the Nude and Lily-colored magnolia varieties. Now about 20 forms of this plant have been bred, differing in the appearance of the flowers, crown shape and other characteristics.
Alexandrina
The magnolia tree Sulanja Alexandrina grows to a height of up to 6 m with a crown width of about 4 m.The variety is valuable for its large – up to 15 cm – odorless flowers with double color: the petals are white inside, dark pink, almost purple outside. Flowers bloom in early May at the same time as the foliage. Magnolia variety Sulanzha Alexandrina is distinguished by very abundant, but short-lived - up to 3 weeks - flowering.
Galaxy
The tree of this variety has a straight trunk and a pyramidal, narrow crown shape. Magnolia Sulanja Galaxy blooms in late spring with purple or deep red fragrant flowers. Flowering is long and abundant. This tree looks best in small gardens.
Princess of Dreams
Magnolia Sulanja Princess of Dreams is a small, up to 5 m, shrub that blooms in the second half of spring. The corolla is very large, reaches 25 cm in diameter, and can have a goblet or cup shape. The inside of the petals is white, the outside color can be red, pink, purple or pink with white stripes. Thanks to its abundant flowering, unusual colors, delicate aroma and extraordinary size of flowers, this variety looks incredibly attractive.
Alba Superba
The magnolia tree Sulanja Alba Superba reaches a height of 4 m. The variety is distinguished by large flowers of especially delicate colors: the pink tint at the base of the corolla gives way to pure white. The flowers are goblet-shaped. Abundantly white flowers bloom even before the leaves appear, in April, but even later, against the backdrop of bright green young foliage, they look very picturesque.
Rustica Rubra
A variety of magnolia Sulanja Rustica Rubra is a tree or shrub with a wide crown, reaching a height of 7 m. It feels good in warm sunny areas, prefers moist, fertile soils. The variety blooms with large, goblet-shaped, rounded flowers.The outside of the corolla is painted red-pink, the inside is delicate white and pink. Flowering begins in the second half of spring, when the branches are not yet covered with foliage.
Linnaeus
This subspecies is particularly winter hardy and slow growing. Compact, no more than 2 - 3 m in height shrub, blooming in late spring. The dark purple buds open into large flowers, the inner surface of which is painted white. The flower petals of this variety are convex and fleshy.
Jenny
The magnolia bush of the Jenny variety is narrow, compact, reaches a height of about 3 m and a width of 1.5 m. It has surprisingly beautiful flowers, reminiscent of a tulip, with a dark red-ruby color, unusual for varieties of this crop. Flowering begins in April and continues for several weeks. Often at the end of summer there is a re-blooming, almost no different in abundance from spring.
Andre Leroy
Magnolia variety Sulanja Andre Leroy is a small spreading tree up to 4 m high. It blooms in late spring with elongated, medium-sized flowers with a subtle delicate scent. The corollas are bright, pink-violet, and look extremely picturesque both at the beginning of flowering on bare branches and after the foliage appears.
Reproduction methods
The easiest way to propagate a shrub is vegetatively: cuttings, layering and grafting, but you can also grow magnolia Sulange from seeds.
When cutting cuttings, temperature and air humidity are very important. Young trees obtained in this way can be planted in a permanent place only after a year.
It is very easy to get new plants using layering. One or more lower branches of the mother bush are fixed to the soil and dug in, which stimulates the formation of roots.After a maximum of 2 years, the young plant can be separated from the main bush.
Propagation of magnolia variety Sulanzha by grafting is a relatively simple method, but it requires certain preparation and knowledge of technology. It consists of a rootstock of a bud of the desired type to a tree of a different variety. As a rule, amateur gardeners rarely use this method.
Seeds are sown in the fall. The prepared seed material is sown in boxes and put away in a cold place, in the spring they are taken out and the emerging seedlings are carefully looked after.
Planting and caring for magnolia Sulange
Regardless of the chosen variety of magnolia Sulanja, the beauty and health of plants depends on proper planting and proper care.
Recommended timing
Magnolia variety Sulanzha is planted in early spring or autumn. Many gardeners argue that it is preferable to plant it in October rather than in April, since there is a risk of frost returning in the spring. If a young seedling has already begun to flow sap, even short-term frosts can cause serious damage.
Site selection and soil preparation
Magnolia is a southern plant, so it prefers well-lit areas without drafts. However, you should avoid exposing the bush, especially young seedlings, to direct sunlight. The crop does not tolerate stagnant moisture; low-lying swampy areas or areas with high groundwater levels, less than 1.2 m from the surface, are unsuitable for it. From an aesthetic point of view, it is better to place the Soulange magnolia separately from other plantings in order to emphasize its beauty.
The soil for magnolias should be fertile, loose, well-permeable to water and air. Sandy and loamy soils with acidity close to neutral or slightly acidic are well suited. If magnolia is to be planted in limed soil, then during autumn digging, acidic peat is added to it.
Soil preparation involves digging spacious planting holes with a volume 2 to 3 times the size of the seedling's root ball. A mixture of turf soil, sand and peat or compost is placed on the bottom.
How to plant magnolia Soulange
For planting, it is better to choose a seedling with a closed root system. The landing procedure is as follows:
- the plant is placed in the center of the prepared hole and covered with a pre-prepared substrate, periodically compacting the soil;
- the top layer of soil is left loose;
- the seedling is thoroughly watered with warm water;
- after some time, when the soil around the plant settles, add more soil so that moisture does not accumulate around the trunk.
The distance between plantings is calculated depending on the characteristics of the variety, taking into account that mature trees do not shade each other. Typically, magnolia seedlings are not placed closer than 2–3 m from each other.
Growing rules
If a suitable place is chosen for the magnolia variety Sulanzha and planting is carried out according to all the rules, further care of the plant is not particularly difficult. Young plants need increased attention for several years after planting, but with age they become more hardy and unpretentious.
Watering
The shrub is very sensitive to soil moisture, especially the first few years after planting. On hot days, the circles around the trunk should not be allowed to dry out, but in general, watering should be plentiful and frequent.It is usually sufficient to irrigate the soil every other day. You should use warm, preferably rain, water for this. On particularly hot days, crown sprinkling is used.
Top dressing
Young magnolia begins to be fertilized at the age of three. This is done twice a year: in the spring, when the plant is preparing for the growing season, and in the first half of summer. You can use ready-made complexes for magnolia, or you can prepare a fertilizer based on cow manure, mixing it with urea and ammonium nitrate.
It should be remembered that excessive fertilization is harmful to the plant.
Trimming
Magnolia does not need formative pruning, but in early spring it is necessary to remove all dry, damaged and frozen branches, as well as branches bending inside the crown. The cut area must be treated with garden varnish.
Preparing for winter
Magnolia Sulange trees and shrubs are frost-resistant; some varieties easily tolerate winter temperatures down to -30 °C, so they are easy to grow in the middle zone, for example, in the Moscow region. Only young trees need shelter for the winter during the first few seasons after planting.
To protect the plantings from frost, the tree trunks are mulched with spruce branches, sawdust or straw, and the plant itself is covered with burlap. Remove the shelter at a stable positive air temperature.
Pests and diseases
The magnolia variety Sulanja is resistant to diseases and pests, however, this crop may also have health problems.
Chlorosis can be suspected by the appearance of yellow leaves with green veins.It occurs due to the high content of lime in the soil. You can cope with this disease by acidifying the soil with peat.
In hot weather, magnolia can be affected by spider mites, which feed on its juices. Acaricides are used to combat them.
Rodents and moles are not specific pests of this crop; they can harm any tree. To prevent them from settling in the roots of plants, with the onset of the first frosts, the tree trunk circles are covered, then in winter the plantings will not be damaged. Special ultrasonic repellers help against moles.
Conclusion
Magnolia Sulanzha is still an infrequent guest in the gardens of central Russia. Its popularity has only begun to grow recently. However, a large number of hybrids of this variety, unpretentiousness and relatively simple agricultural technology will allow every gardener to grow this amazing southern tree on their site.
