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Tips on de-potting a Magnolia
pottedpoppys
Posts: 2
I would like to put my poor struggling Magnolia into the ground (nice fertile soil in my garden). I am terrified of de-potting it and harming the roots. Pot is quite sizable but sure I can manage on my own with a good strategy. Any tips / golden rules?
0
Posts
Do you think it may be pot bound? If so, carefully tease out the roots before planting it. Dig a much bigger hole than the pot, mix in some compost and blood, fish and bone if you have it. Firm it in carefully, stake it so it won't get wind rock. Keep it well watered and staked for a year. After that it should manage on it's own.
Water it well first so it comes out easily.
Have the new hole ready - twice the width of the pot and a bit deeper if you can - prepared with plenty of organic material mixed in the bottom and also mixed into the soil you will use to backfill. Plant it at the same depth it was before and water well. Give it a feed of some rose or tomato fertiliser to help it grow strong and form flowers for next year. Use a sequestered iron product for ericaceous plants if you have hard water or are on a neutral soil. If your soil is alkaline, keep it in the pot but feed it generously.
Keep it well watered till the autumn rains start. Do not feed it after the beginning of July as new growth needs time to harden off before the frosts and winter come.
Thanks for both comments and your tips. The plant is quite well established (in the pot) and hasn't flowered this year, I am assuming that is because it is using it's energy just to survive at the moment.
Will make sure it is well watered - I have blood, fish and bone, so that's good news. Looks like my main priority is to dig a home for my Magnolia and her roots.
Can I add that you should check what variety it is, some grow quite huge when in the ground, so choose your site accordingly. I bought a so-called dwarf magnolia years ago, it is now about 8 meters tall and 4 meters wide!