Propagating Magnolia Trees By Hashmi Gardening & Landscaping

Propagating Magnolia Trees 

Magnolias are beautiful trees with showy flowers and elegant large leaves. Some are evergreen while others lose leaves in winter. There are even pint-sized magnolias that work well in a smaller garden.

If you are interested in propagating magnolia trees, you have various options. Seeding is always possible, but starting a magnolia tree from cuttings or magnolia air layering are considered better options. 

Propagating Magnolia Trees 

Starting a magnolia tree from cuttings produces trees much faster than seedlings. Two years after you root a magnolia cutting, you may get flowers, while with a seedling, you can wait over a decade. But starting a magnolia tree from cuttings is not a sure bet. A large percentage of the cuttings fail. 

Magnolia Air Layering

Air layering is another method of propagating magnolia tree. It involves wounding a living branch, then surrounding the wound with moist growing medium until roots form. To accomplish magnolia air layering, try it in early spring on one-year-old branches or in late summer on that season’s growth. Make parallel cuts circling the branch about 1½ inches apart, then join the two lines with another cut and remove the bark. Place damp sphagnum moss around the wound and tie it in place by wrapping with twine. Secure a sheet of polyethylene film around the moss and secure both ends with electrician tape. Once the air layering is put in place, you need to keep the medium damp all the time, so check frequently. When you see roots protruding from the moss on all sides, you can separate the cutting from the parent plant and transplant it.  

Magnolia Root System

Magnolias, like the glorious southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), the state tree of Mississippi, can grow to 80 feet tall. These trees can have a 40-foot spread and a trunk diameter of 36 inches. You might think that magnolia tree roots head straight down in order to stabilize these big trees, but that is far from the truth. The magnolia root system is quite different, and the trees grow large, flexible, rope-like roots. These magnolia tree roots grow horizontally, not vertically, and stay relatively close to the soil surface. Because of this, planting magnolias near houses can lead to magnolia tree root damage.

Magnolia Tree Diseases

Fungal leaf spots

Another condition that’s a lot more bark than bite, fungal leaf spots can appear in a range of shapes, sizes and colors on magnolia. If they’re surface only or are the same on both sides of the leaves, it’s a fairly safe bet that you can leave them alone. Clean up any dead leaves or other plant debris around the base of young magnolias to minimize the risk of contracting these spots and continue to care for your tree properly for best results.

Canker

These infections cause girdling of branches and may create a hazard on a large tree. If you notice one branch die suddenly, while the rest are fine, it’s time to prune it out and look for more areas where the bark is peeling off or unusual knots are forming. Pruning the canker, plus an inch or two of healthy tissue, is the only way to get ahead of canker diseases.

Wood rot

The phrase “tree surgery” may not be in your vocabulary, but wood rot is one condition that may warrant it. Depending on whether the wood rot is inside your tree or around the base on the outside, it may be able to be saved from wood rot if the disease is caught early. You’ll notice vague signs like wilting of parts of the tree’s canopy or leaking areas on the bark. Contact an arborist for proper diagnosis and treatment.