Pruning Magnolia's - do's and dont's

Firstly let it be said that you should never actually prune a Magnolia tree unless it is essential or desirable to do so; it isn’t actually necessary to prune as a rule and they don’t particularly like it. However if your Magnolia is old, overgrown, or poorly shaped then it is perfectly possible to improve things with some judicious cutting. The best time to prune is really during the first half of the summer. Magnolia’s are slow to heal and this gives major cuts time to seal over before the frosts. Try to restrict pruning to weak elongated shoots, crossing limbs, damaged or broken branches. You can also prune congested specimens to open the framework. Take major limbs off completely level with their base; longer stems can be shortened by one third. Weakly shoots can also be removed completely at their base. Make sure to paint all larger cuts with arbrex. If your specimen needs a lot of work it is advisable to stage the pruning over two seasons allowing time for recovery between. Flowering will obviously be inhibited for 2 or 3 years afterward but after that you should see the benefits of your work as new growths mature to flowering age. A good mulch with organic matter or well rotted manure will help speed recovery. It should be remembered that Magnolia’s are shallow rooted trees and shrubs so make sure they do not suffer from water shortage after pruning – be prepared to irrigate if it is dry. Pictured is the classic Magnolia liliflora nigra, one of the deepest coloured Magnolias available.