Purple magnolia 'Susan', Magnolia liliiflora

The purple magnolia 'Susan' is one of the most popular varieties of magnolia trees in domestic gardens because of its purple flowers. Whether cultivated in the front yard, as a solitaire on a garden lawn or in a bucket due to lack of space, the Magnolia liliiflora cuts a fine figure everywhere. However, it needs a little care if the deciduous shrub or tree is to remain beautiful for a long time.

Crimson magnolia care

The purple magnolia is characterized by its beautiful flower color. The deciduous tree or shrub requires the same care as all magnolia trees. However, the graceful plant is also often cultivated in a bucket and thus finds a place next to or on a terrace, for the balcony it is usually too big even in the bucket. A front garden is also enhanced by Magnolia liliiflora. With the right care, magnolias can grow very old and therefore please their owner for many years.

Location

Magnolias like it when planted as a specimen. There should be enough space around the tree. Since the crown can be very sprawling, at least four square meters should be allowed all around, even with smaller varieties such as Magnolia liliiflora. Otherwise, the location should be chosen as follows:

• sheltered from east winds
• otherwise the flowers will be lost
• ideal in front of a house wall or in a corner of a building
• in milder climates also free in a meadow
• light and full sun to partial shade
• at least four hours a day, preferably more, sun
• in a tub on a sheltered terrace or balcony

plants in the open air

The ideal planting time for the purple magnolia 'Susan', which is usually sold in bales, is autumn and early spring before it buds. But just when a cold and frosty winter is imminent, planting should be postponed to spring if the magnolia tree is to be cultivated outdoors. Then it can grow over the year and has become strong enough for the coming winter. When planting, proceed as follows:

• dig a big hole
• about twice the bale size
• create drainage to prevent waterlogging
• Spread stones or gravel on the bottom of the hole
• Fill the hole with water
• Remove old soil from root balls
• Insert magnolia tree
• Enter prepared soil
• Firm the soil well and water again

So that the purple magnolia can root well, it should be watered heavily for the first few days.

plants in the bucket

Purple magnolias are well suited for cultivation in a container. So if you don't have space in the garden, you can also place a Magnolia liliiflora on the terrace or a larger balcony. The pot should always be twice as big as the ball of the purchased magnolia. The procedure for planting is as follows:

• Create drainage to prevent waterlogging
• Gravel or broken pottery over the drain hole
• lay plant fleece over this
• fill in some of the prepared soil
• water well
• Remove soil from bales
• insert trees
• Fill in the rest of the soil and press down well
• water well again
• empty the collecting plate after a while

substrate & soil

The soil is humic, slightly acidic and evenly moist. It is ideal if the soil is also covered with sand, because the magnolias are more frost hardy here. Moist clay soils, on the other hand, freeze faster, so sand should always be mixed into the soil. Waterlogging must also be avoided. Before the first planting, the soil at the location in the garden should be prepared as follows:

• Fold in compost
• Peat for pH
• sand for permeability

The soil should be mixed accordingly a few weeks before planting, then the minerals in the compost can penetrate Microorganisms in the soil are already developing their full effect, the soil is optimally supplied with nutrients when the young tree is used.

Fertilize

Since the root system of the magnolia tree runs very superficially just below the surface of the earth, fertilizer should not be worked into the soil. Because the tree reacts very sensitively to any tillage. Therefore, a rake should not be used around the purple magnolia. So the magnolias should be fertilized as follows:

• Scatter horn shavings
• Use organic fertilizer
• before planting, enrich the soil with compost
• only fertilize twice a year
• once in spring before budding
• in autumn to increase resistance to the cold
• cultivated in a bucket should be fertilized every two weeks

Pour

Magnolias need a lot of moisture, but waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. The naturally falling rain is usually sufficient here. Only in summer does it have to be watered during very hot periods. This should be done as follows:

• when the soil has dried up, water
• only water in the early morning or late evening hours
• Magnolias do not tolerate lime
• therefore water with collected rainwater
• alternatively use filtered tap water
• Cover soil with bark mulch in summer
• keeps the moisture in the soil

Cut

Purple magnolias, like all magnolia species, do not like being cut. The most beautiful growth is always achieved when the tree or shrub is allowed to grow unhindered. But every now and then a small to larger cut has to be made, for example when the Magnolia liliiflora gets too big or has been damaged by a storm. You should then proceed as follows:

• only use disinfected and sharp tools
• Pruning saw and secateurs are sufficient
• Cut right after flowering
• remove all diseased and dead shoots
• Remove competitive instincts to the main stem
• these are steep-growing shoots
• Just thin out the crown
• Cut off transverse and inward-growing shoots
• remove branches snapped by the storm
• Cover larger cut surfaces with tree wax

multiply

Anyone who owns a purple magnolia 'Susan' may wish for more of the graceful trees. An existing magnolia can easily be propagated by lowering it. This is done as follows:

• select one or more shoots
• this should not be too lignified
• must be long enough to reach the floor
• loosen the soil next to the tree and enrich it with compost
• make a furrow about 20 cm long
• a spade can be used for this
• Remove blossoms and leaves on sinkers
• Make three to four slits with a clean, sharp knife
• Place the sinker in the furrow
• Anchor with tent peg or long bent nail

The tip of the sinker must still be visible. Pour moderately and keep moist for a while. After a few weeks, the shoot will develop its own roots, but will continue to be nourished by the mother plant. When the roots have developed vigorously, the sinker can be used with a sharp knife or a sharp Scissors can be cut straight and planted in its new location, whether in a bucket or outdoors become.

repot

Container plants should be repotted regularly. Not only because they need a larger pot, repotting is also necessary for a fresh substrate. If the purple magnolia 'Susan' gets too big in the pot, a larger container should be chosen. Since these are shallow-rooted, it is important that the pot is wide, the height is not critical. The pot is then prepared as described under "Plants in tubs" and the plant inserted. A little caution is required here when the magnolia tree is removed from the old pot. Ideally, two people should work on this. So one can hold the pot while the other removes the tree.

hibernate

Young magnolia trees are only partially hardy and should therefore receive winter protection. With older purple magnolias, nothing needs to be considered if they are cultivated outdoors. Potted plants, on the other hand, should always receive winter protection, as the roots could freeze faster in the little soil.

Hibernation outdoors

Action must be taken before the first frost is announced. For this purpose, the soil around the magnolia tree is given a mulch layer consisting of bark mulch, leaves and foliage. A layer of brushwood and straw can then be placed over this. The tree itself is protected as follows:

• wrap the trunk with plant fleece
• also the crown
• make sure that there are no vacancies
• protect from too much sun
• in the spring remove protection before flowering
• Observe the weather, protect again if necessary

The flowers in particular can still be severely damaged by a late night frost. So the all-clear can only be given for mid-May after the ice saints.

Hibernation in bucket

If there is a sheltered spot on the patio or balcony, this is ideal for overwintering the potted plants. The location should be right next to a wall or in a corner of the terrace. Otherwise, the winter protection for the magnolia in the bucket looks like this:

• Place bucket on styrofoam or wood
• wrap with brushwood mats or plant fleece
• place mulch or brushwood mats on top of soil
• young plant also protect the crown and trunk
• wrap them with plant fleece

With older plants, only the pot needs to be protected from the penetrating cold, the crown can remain open here even in winter. It is important that the site is protected from wind and snow.

Care mistakes, diseases or pests

As a rule, only weakened magnolias are attacked by diseases or pests. Therefore, these are primarily maintenance errors that can be corrected. A wrong location or wrong care can lead to the following diseases or pest infestation:

• leaf spot disease
• in warm, humid weather
• remove all affected shoots
• mildew
• control with fungicides
• Use garlic broth as a home remedy
• remove affected shoots
• scale insects
• white fly
• aphids
• deal with insecticides

The roots are also often infested, for example by voles. On the other hand, it helps to create a vole grid when planting if the plant has been cultivated outdoors. Nematodes from well-stocked garden shops help against the vine weevil, whose larvae also damage the roots, and are simply added to the soil with the irrigation water.

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