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Magnolia Stellata pruning

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in The potting shed
My mature shrub is getting lopsided towards the south side and I'm considering some pruning of one or two of the larger branches that side. It would be so much easier to do it over the winter after the leaves have dropped but is this a good idea?   
North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone

Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Anybody out there please
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    Hi Lizzie. I've never done it but did research magnolia pruning when offered a lopsided stellata from my mum's garden. I think I read that pruning can sometimes cause them to throw out lots of non-productive watershoots. I decided not to take the plant.
    Hope an experienced magnolia grower can offer a better answer 😊.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Thanks Kitty, I have pruned a few smaller shoots before but these are bigger branches and I'm dithering!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • pr1mr0sepr1mr0se Posts: 1,193
    In my previous garden in West Somerset, I inherited a lovely Magnolia Stellata.   It was a bit neglected, so I pruned out some hefty low branches, and thereafter pruned it every other year in the early summer.  That gave me the chance to see the shape in full leaf and to take out any weak or dead twigs etc.  

    I'm not sure if this was "by the book" but it worked for me, and the tree was a medium-sized one that never failed to bloom every year.  (I even won a "Best in Show" at the village spring flower show, so I must have been doing something right!)

    Hope this helps.  I think that the early summer pruning allowed new growth to mature and harden, without compromising the tree.  Winter pruning will probably cut our some on next spring's flowers and may make the pruning cuts prone to die back at best or disease at worse.  Others more knowledgeable than I would comment on that, no doubt!
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    The summer pruning I had read also but it is because winter pruning can make them bleed, and cause die back.
    I have been in a similar boat as a piece got broken on ours, I had to cut it off, it sulked a bit and then we got a very straight shoot that came from underground so I guess this is the water shoots talked about.
    I think i would wait until summer to prune big stems.
    Sorry Shrinking Violet you sound very knowledgeable to me, have it covered winning a prize too.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Also bear in mind that, in general, hard pruning encourages growth so you may make the situation worse.  Magnolias are best not pruned at all but if you have to, I would look at taking out a complete branch right to the trunk collar, if it will help the balance, and in early summer as mentioned above.  Few things look worse than a thick branch cut half way along with a bunch of watershoots growing out of the end (I'm not a fan of pollarded trees, as you can probably tell!)  :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Thanks guys. I was thinking about taking the branch right back to the trunk Bob but will leave it until the flowers have gone over. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • pr1mr0sepr1mr0se Posts: 1,193
    I agree with Bob - cutting right back to the trunk is the best option imo.  When I did that, it allowed more light and air around the base, and I underplanted with a variety of woodland plants - and just as the Erythroniums were clumping into decent patches (and I do love them) - we moved!  
  • mdimeloe741QcT9dmdimeloe741QcT9d Posts: 1
    Hi I have a magnolia stellarta tree  that just finnished flowering and want to know when the best time to give it a prune as it's getting quite bushy in the top ...thanks ..
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