Brandy

Brandy

Brandy (scientific name: Michelia alba DC.): it is an evergreen tree of Magnoliaceae and Michelia genus. It is 17 meters high, with wide branches and broad umbrella shaped crown. Its diameter at breast height is 30 cm. Its bark is gray. Its branches and leaves are fragrant. Its tender branches and buds are densely covered with yellowish white pubescence, and its hair gradually falls off when it grows old. Leaves thin leathery, oblong or lanceolate elliptic, glabrous above, sparsely puberulent below, reticulate veins on both sides are obvious when dry. The flowers are white and fragrant; perianth pieces are 10, lanceolate; pistil carpels are numerous, forming sparse aggregate fruit with the extension of receptacle when mature; follicles are bright red when ripe. Flowering period is from April to September, blooming in summer, usually fruitless.

The flowers are white and fragrant, open in summer and autumn, with long flowering period and thick green leaves. It is a famous garden ornamental tree species, and most of them are street trees. Flowers can extract essence or smoked tea, or extract the extract for medicinal purposes. It is rare to bear fruit, so it is often propagated by grafting, with Huanglan, Michelia, firepower Nang as rootstocks, and can also be propagated by air layering or close grafting. Native to Java, Indonesia, now widely planted in Southeast Asia. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other provinces and regions of China are highly cultivated. Many potted plants in the Yangtze River Basin overwinter in greenhouses.

(general drawing reference source:)

morphological character

Prynne is an evergreen tree, up to 17 meters high, with wide branches and a broad umbrella shaped crown; its diameter at breast height can reach 50 cm; its bark is gray; its twigs and leaves are fragrant; its tender branches and buds are densely covered with yellowish white pubescence, and its hair gradually falls off when it grows old. Leaf thin leathery, long elliptic or lanceolate elliptic, 10-27 cm long, 4-9.5 cm wide, apex long acuminate or caudate acuminate, base cuneate, glabrous above, sparsely puberulent below, reticulate veins on both sides are obvious when dry; petiole 1.5-2 cm long, sparsely puberulent; Stipule scar reaching middle of petiole.

The flowers are white and fragrant; perianth segments are 10, lanceolate, 3-4 cm long and 3-5 mm wide; anther septum of stamen protrudes long tip; pistil group is puberulent, pistil petiole is about 4 mm long, carpels are mostly undeveloped, forming sparse aggregate fruit of follicles with the extension of receptacle when mature; follicles are bright red when ripe. Flowering period is from April to September, blooming in summer, usually fruitless.

The difference between the two species

The same species: Huanglan, also known as huangmiangui, is orange in color. Its fragrance is sweet and moist, like Osmanthus fragrans. It is more fragrant than white orchid, and its flowering period is later than brandy.

Michelia, the flower is smaller than brandy, yellow white, single in the axils of leaves, with banana aromatic.

Habitat of producing area

Native to Java, Indonesia, now widely planted in Southeast Asia. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other provinces and regions of China are highly cultivated. Many potted plants in the Yangtze River Basin overwinter in greenhouses.

Growth habit

Like light, afraid of high temperature, not cold, suitable for slightly acidic soil. It likes to be warm and humid, but is not resistant to drought and waterlogging. It is sensitive to sulfur dioxide, chlorine and other toxic gases, and has poor resistance.

Methods of reproduction

Layering

< ol > < li > ordinary layering: layering is best carried out in February to March. Cut the base of the branch to be pressed into half of the depth, cut a section upward, clip a tile in the middle, and then gently press it into the soil, so as not to break it. Insert a "U" shaped thick iron wire into the soil, fix it, prevent it from warping, and then pile up the soil. In spring, it can be cut off and replanted after the root buds are released. < / Li > < li > high branch layering: before lodging, select robust and disease-free twigs (1.5-2 cm in diameter) on the mother plant, cut the cracks at the lower part of the basin fork, then cover them with bamboo tube or bottomless tile jar, fill them with culture soil inside, tie them tightly with string outside, be careful not to touch them, spray a small amount of water frequently to keep them moist, and new roots can be produced around May of the next year, and then take them off for planting.

grafting

There are two grafting methods, one is close grafting, the other is cutting grafting. < ol > < li > docking: docking time, from spring to autumn, can be carried out in the whole growing season. Most of them are from April to July. The place 70 cm away from the ground is the best. After binding, it is wrapped with mud and wrapped with leaves to prevent rain erosion. After about 60 days, it can be cut off. It is easy to survive by grafting, but it is not as vigorous as cutting grafting. < / Li > < li > cutting and grafting: in the middle and late September, the well-developed branches of Magnolia grandiflora should be selected as scions, the cutting surfaces of rootstock and scion should be closely combined, the plastic film strips should be used for binding and plastering, and the scions should be buried with soil to keep the soil moist. In northern China, it is necessary to cover the scions with straw in winter, remove the mulch in the next spring, and keep 4-5 buds on the upper part of the branch after germination. The rest of the buds should be removed. After 2-3 years of routine maintenance, the scions can blossom.

cultivation techniques

soil

For potted orchid in family, the soil with loose, strong air permeability and rich humus should be selected for cultivation. Usually choose Tile basin with good air permeability, purple sand basin (VAT) or plastic basin with more bottom holes. It is better to have a certain amount of granular soil of different sizes in the basin to facilitate water seepage and air permeability.

Change Basin

According to the crown size and the age of the white orchid, the pots and VATS with appropriate size should be replaced to facilitate the vigorous growth of the plant. When the pot soil is slightly dry, tilt the pot (jar) slowly (or upside down), hold the pot with one hand, hold the plant firmly with the other hand, and pour out the white orchid and move it into a new pot. A small amount of loose soil should be padded in the new basin (VAT) in advance, and then it should be watered and planted stably.

illumination

From March to April every year, the pots and VATS planted with white orchids can be moved out of the room and placed in a sunny place. In summer, the temperature is high, so we should choose a sunshade net or build a simple shade, so that the white orchid can not only shine on the morning sun, but also avoid the strong light in summer afternoon (in order to avoid sunburn branches and leaves). Before and after the beginning of summer, it should be moved outdoors and placed in a sunny and ventilated place. The sunshine should be more than 6 hours. Only when there is enough light can it grow well. If there is not enough light, it will grow branches and leaves in excess and blossom less or even no more. In the hot summer season, the intensity of sunlight should be a little shade, so as to avoid burning leaves and tender stems.

apply fertilizer

In the vigorous growth period of white orchid (usually in May, June or July, August every year), the flower fertilizer should be applied to white orchid every half month or so, or a little compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be applied every 20 or so, 2 g to 6 g each time.

The specific operation is: first use a small shovel to divide the soil in the basin into several vertical and horizontal ditches, then slowly sprinkle the fertilizer into the ditch, and then cover the surface soil in the basin, and then pour some water. Make the fertilizer gradually penetrate into the root of the plant with each watering. Do not spread the fertilizer directly to the root, so as to avoid "burning the root" due to the heavy fertilizer effect of the soil around the root. Thin fertilizer should be applied frequently, and cake fertilizer is better. No fertilizer should be applied in winter. From the beginning of sprouting to June, fertilizer and water should be poured every 3-4 days. From July to September, fertilizer and water should be poured every 5-6 days. After several times of fertilizer application, fertilizer should be stopped once.

From the beginning of moving out to the end of June, alum fertilizer water was poured every 7-10 days to make the soil slightly acidic. At the flowering stage, the quick acting phosphate fertilizer can be applied one time to make it fragrant.

watering

Proper watering is the key to maintain white orchid. White orchids should not be watered too often or too much. The correct watering method should be: moisten the soil in the basin at one time, and do not need watering when the soil in the basin is slightly dry. Remember not to water every day, but you can often use a small watering can to spray water on the leaves. In summer, water should be poured at least three or four times a month (plus water spraying on the blades). Easier to master the method is: as long as you see white orchid leaves droop, the watering. It is watered two or three times a month in autumn and one or two times a month in winter.

Because of the fleshy root system, afraid of water, and not resistant to dry. In spring, the water should be poured out of the house once, and then every other day; in summer, the water should be sprayed in the morning and evening; in autumn, the water should be sprayed once every 2-3 days; in winter, the water should be withheld as long as the basin soil is slightly wet; after rain, the water should be drained in time. To prevent smoke pollution, keep the leaf clean, spray the leaf if necessary, in order to facilitate the normal development and growth of the plant.

temperature

It is not cold resistant. Except for South China, it is necessary to enter the house for maintenance in winter. The minimum room temperature should be above 5 ℃ and the time to leave the house should be from Qingming to Guyu. Do a good job of antifreeze and keep warm. Keep the indoor temperature above 12 ℃ in the daytime and no less than 6 ℃ in the evening, or you will be vulnerable to low temperature. Air circulation, and keep the basin soil moist, can safely overwinter.

trim

Before entering the house, the dead branches, diseased branches, overgrown branches and overdense branches should be cut to reduce the nutrition consumption of the plant to the greatest extent; when leaving the house, the old leaves at the lower part of the branches can be appropriately removed to promote the growth of new branches. In addition, attention should also be paid to the damage of aphids to twigs and shoots, which must be controlled in time.

Main value

gardens

White orchid plant shape erect, with branches, elegant. It is one of the key tree species in southern gardens. Potted plants in the north can be arranged in courtyards, halls and conference rooms. Small and medium-sized plants can be displayed in the living room and study. Because of its fear of smoke, should be placed in the air circulation. As a kind of spice plant, white orchid can also be used as spice and medicine.

Livable

The growth environment of brandy improves the growth environment of the house and the Fengshui environment of the owner's house. White orchids like warm, humid, good ventilation, sufficient sunshine, afraid of cold, avoid humidity, neither like shade, nor resistant to sunburn, such living requirements, give the host a home environment is suitable for warm, humid and ventilated judgment standard, if a home white orchids grow well, prove these conditions

Chinese PinYin : Bai Lan