The sight of a magnolia in full bloom is one of the highlights of the gardening year. They make beautiful specimen trees and some, like the evergreen Magnolia grandiflora, can be trained against a wall.
Unless they’re being trained, magnolias don’t need regular pruning. In fact, it’s best to avoid pruning established trees unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to limit the size of your tree, here are our top tips for pruning magnolias.
This compact deciduous variety often produces a second flowering in mid-summer
Image: Magnolia 'Genie' from Thompson & Morgan
When and how to prune your magnolia depends on whether it's deciduous or evergreen. Deciduous varieties should be pruned in late summer, evergreen varieties should be pruned in spring, and wall-trained specimens should be pruned in summer after they have finished flowering.
Many magnolia varieties bleed when cut, so it’s important to prune at the correct time of year to avoid this. Make sure you have a sturdy step ladder, a pruning saw and sharp secateurs.
Prune deciduous magnolias from mid- to late summer to prevent the cuts from bleeding
Image: Magnolia 'George Henry Kern' from Thompson & Morgan
Evergreen magnolias should be pruned as little as possible
Image: Magnolia grandiflora 'Alta' from Thompson & Morgan
Wall-trained magnolias should be pruned in summer
Image: Debu55y/Shutterstock
We hope these pruning tips will help you to enjoy a strong and healthy magnolia tree for many years to come.
Banner image: Halfpoint/ Shutterstock
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