Magnolia Beyond Easy Pruning

[Garibaldi]

I have a magnolia tree that, because of its position in the garden, age, and lack of care by the previous owner, is extremely large and looks like an open umbrella laying on its side. My choice with a magnolia would be to leave it alone, but this one needs care. I'd love to learn what you would do if it were yours.

Felling it is not a choice, I'm afraid.

Regards,

GP

 

[rebelman]

Post some pics and you'll get better responses. I usually thin magnolias. Take out a side trunk, old storm damage, lowest branches, some crossing or interfering, make cuts to ANSI standard. Take out about a third. Your garden gets sun, the tree handles future storms better. People are fanatical about mags, dreadfully afraid I will prune too much. I tell them where was all that care when these stubs were made? Consider mulching the root zone, it makes cleaning up after the tree easier, just one one of many benefits.

 

[treeseer]

Is it a grandiflora or a stellata or what?

Grandiflora here tolerate zome pretty heavy pruning when it's needed to reshape the crown. Do some cuts in late summer where you do not want resprouting, then do more in late winter where you do want resprouting.

Posting a picture will bring you an avalanche of very rewarding comments. opcorn:

 

[Garibaldi]

Magnolia ID

I'm sorry for being so late to respond. I have been unsuccessful in uploading a picture to this site. Not the site's fault; it's a new camera with different software. Anyway, maybe this will help with identification.

The leaves are 15-18 cm, medium-green, elliptical, smooth from axil to tip; they are alternately placed on the stem; branches on the tree are alternate; it blooms in early April in Zone 5 Southern Maine. The flower bud is banana-shaped; very light green; about 7 cm from end-to-end; the green part is reminiscent of a young pine-cone; at the bottom of the bud, where it attaches to the branch, there is a copper brown section about 7 mm long that looks like the exterior of a pineapple. Below that is a swelling area about 5 cm long that has five facets to it.

Does this help?

Regards,
Garibaldi

Is it a grandiflora or a stellata or what?

Grandiflora here tolerate zome pretty heavy pruning when it's needed to reshape the crown. Do some cuts in late summer where you do not want resprouting, then do more in late winter where you do want resprouting.

Posting a picture will bring you an avalanche of very rewarding comments. opcorn: