Well - timed passementerie keeps these beautiful plants flower and salubrious . But exactly when to prune varies according to the eccentric of magnolia you have .
A flowering favourite that grow in most regions of the country , magnoliascan be stately trees or smaller , bush - like plants . Most types are grim - maintenance , but once in a while they may need a slight pruning . For illustration , you might be repairing storm damage to a fledged Southern magnolia , or maybe you need to shape a young sweetbay magnolia so it does n’t crowd a footpath . However , if you prune at the wrong time , you could turn a loss prime for the class ahead . Here ’s what you need to sleep together aboutwhen to pruneyour magnolias so they ’ll look beautiful yr - circular .
When to Prune the Top Types of Magnolias
Among the most ancientflowering species , magnolia were keeping company with the dinosaur . They ’ve had a tidy sum of meter to germinate , so there ’s quite a bit of variety in the sept . Some magnolias have multiple stalk or trunks , and others , like the Southern magnolia , have just one luggage compartment . Some are deciduous , stand for they drop their leave for the winter , and some are evergreen . Although there are thousands ofdifferent magnolias , you ’re in all probability growing one of the four that do best in home garden . Thesepruning rulesare based on when each of these magnolias flower .
sturdy inUSDA Zones 6–10,Southern magnolia(Magnolia grandiflora ) does everything in a big way . It can reach 60 to 80 metrical unit improbable and it has enormouswhite flowersthat can attain a pes in diam . It grows symmetrically , so little pruning is want . In fact , it ’s proficient to leave the low limb in position , so they bear on the ground and insure the dead leaves the tree sheds naturally almost every day . If you do need to trim this evergreen , wait until it finishes blooming in summertime .
Saucer magnoliaor pink tulip tree diagram ( Magnolia x soulangeana ) has multiple radical and gets about 25 feet marvelous and wide inZones 4–9 . It ’s unspoiled to decide how many trunks you want to keep while this tree is young , and regulate it so the trunks and branches do n’t cut across each other . Its pretty flowers come out in spring , so time any pruning for after the blooms have faded . Once this deciduous tree has matured — at about 20 years old — prune as niggling as possible , because it cure easy .
Credit: Janet Loughrey
Star magnolia(Magnolia stellata ) will grow to 15 to 20 foundation tall with multiple bow in Zones 4–8 . It loses its leaves in the dusk , and in spring the ace - shaped bloom look on bare branches ( plant it in front of evergreensor a dark - colored wall so the flowers stand out ) . Prune your star magnolia after it blooms to shape it within the first five years after you ’ve planted it .
Sweetbay magnolia(Magnolia virginiana ) doesn’tbloom until the summertime . Another multi - caulescent magnolia that will need pruning when it ’s vernal , it ’s the elision to the usual pruning time . You need to catch this one at the end of the winter , before its growth spurt . Once it starts rise in the spring , you run for the risk of pruning off that summertime ’s bloom . Sweetbay magnolia will grow in Zones 5–10 , and it can be a small , 15 - foot , deciduous tree in New York or it can shoot up to 60 feet in the bass South , where it tend to be evergreen .
Pruning Tools and Tips for Magnolias
Your magnolia probably wo n’t ever ask major surgery , unless a violent storm hits it hard or it got off on the wrong foot in its spring chicken . With young magnolia , make excision with pruning shear . If a small arm does n’t fit easily inside your capable pruners , you should apply pruner , but habituate a pruning sawing machine for branches over one inch in diam .
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Janet Mesic-Mackie
Credit: Denny Schrock
