Beginner Gardening: Magnolia Tree, 1 by NancyGroutsis

NancyGroutsis wrote:
Alice, our two magnolias were cut last year. The one I covered with 6 inches of bark dust didn't sprout this year, so I guess it's dying. I left the stumps exposed on the other and this year that one started growing. It's about 2 ft. high so far (attached photo).

To make the magnolia grow to look like a tree, I guess the best solution would be to prune all the sprouts except one or two vertical ones. However, your tree does look nice as a "shrub." A large elm near our home was cut down and it's grown dozens of sprouts that form a 10 ft. "shrub" which adds to the scenery. The important thing is that your tree is healthy and can easily be pruned to suit your design preference.

DoGooder