Trees: Magnolias

Here I am, professing to be an adopted daughter of the South, and realized today that we had only one Magnolia tree in the Plants Database. That borders on criminal behavior, as far as I can tell, LOL!

I've added several species this morning; if anyone has photos to contribute, I'd be ever so grateful.

I have a good-sized Magnolia grandiflora in my yard, but some well-intentioned person gave it a "buzz cut" a few years ago, and now it has a rounded shape, which is definitely not natural or attractive. And it's placed about 10 feet from an apple tree, so eventually one or the other has to go. I'm thinking the Magnolia should be put out of its misery, and replaced with a new one elsewhere in our garden. Can I take cuttings this year, and start them, before we eventually take it down?

I'm also hoping to add some deciduous magnolias to our landscape this year or next - does anyone know if M. soulangiana or M. stellata can be started from cuttings? And uh....would anyone happen to have any cuttings to share? (I guess I could always break open the piggy bank and go buy some small plants, but I like the challenge and satisfaction of trying to grow them myself.)

Lol,GV "get a rope,lol" What I'd give for a Magnolia. Some here grow a Tulip Tree but it's nothing like the great southern magnolias' Used to always "snitch a flower" in the rest stops and put it in our truck,soooo sweeet smellin'
Don't know much about the cuttings but sure someone with more info will chime in here soon to advise'''

Sis... have u tried http://plantranch.net/ - sells luscious growing plants/trees. they have magnolia tree for a very reasonable price, and other plants too. in fact, i just ordered some myself. check their plants on ebay - very reasonable and lovely plants that never fail.

Thand you MVR,good site but the graphics(moving pics)bug me,lol' Hard to concentrate for me,lol' Appreciate your help any others a little less "busy" you can share???TIA Sis' :D

here is his ebay site http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1694145886

Oh MVR thank you,that's sooo pretty' Can't purchase right now though,wish I could' :D

u're very welcome Sis =). am sure by the time u are ready to order some, u will be very satisfied cause he sure have good plants on stock. i hope to rcvd what i ordered soon.

Terry what a shame that you will need to cut down your magnolia - I think they are magnificent trees and like Sis would give anything to have them on my property. MaVie I have checked Plantranch before and the prices are very good!! I shall order when my beds are ready.

Louisa,
indeed the prices are very reasonable. what brings me back time and again are the luscious growth of the plants they sell! plus the good service provided too.

I have heard this MaVie. I am itching to order but ground preparation is the order of the day for me.

i don't blame u at all Louisa. ground here isn't ready yet, but was worried that the stock might ran out on me. LOL. i could not resist but go ahead and order just the same. when they arrive, i normally soak them in B1 and Miraclegrow 15-30-15 to keep them going till i am ready to plant them. i am hook! could hardly wait for spring to get here, which is around May in my area :(.

Spring in May!!! In California!! You must be up in the mountains then!! Spring for us could mean as early as March here, but more often it's early April!!

It's the high desert Louisa and yes there are mountain ranges around,it's beautiful,you should see it sometime,my dear''':D

I hope to, and I will visit my little friend from the islands when I get there.

Hope you both get out there,it's my old stompin' grounds' I've driven and hiked every inch of the area,in my younger days,of course,lol'

Hesperia is about 3,892' above sea level. Big Bear the winter capital for Southern Californian's is 8'000++' above sea level. click on the pictures of this url to see various places/wild flowers http://aeve.com/digitaldesert/wildflowers/wfs01.html
more site to see http://digital-desert.com/points-of-interest/index.html see the mormon rocks- it is about 5-10 miles away from where i live. all visible on I-15 [route of Los Angeles residents to go to Las Vegas.]

I went there, MVR, it sure is different from central Texas!
Looks rockier, which is pretty rocky when I consider that I'm surrounded by rocks.

actually if not mistaken Mammoth Rocks is otherwise known as Rock Candy mountains. am glad where i am situated is not! all sandy soil. that area is in the mountaineous area. Hesperia i was told used to be a river bed thousands of year ago. although situated in the bonnies, i like it here economically. although some stuff i am accustomed to is not around price wise, food stuff is very reasonable & affordable, and lots of other things too. we do not have smog here. we have 360 days of sunshine. it seldom rains here, but always windy though.

Vols,

Magnolias want to be grafted onto a superior rootstock, although you can root new plants yourself through air layering. I have never heard of anyone successfully propagating a magnolia through something other than air layering, grafting, or seed.

I sowed about 100 seeds this past fall, and I expect germination this spring. If I have some seedlings, you're welcome to as many as you like (within reason) :)

Didn't your DH sow some magnolia seeds? :)

Dave

hehehe, Dave - you remember the seeds, huh? Well, they're still sitting in my GH, LOL. Maybe I can nudge him today to get them sowed. (I have purposely not done it myself because it's *his* project ;)

It sounds like I may have to break over and buy the M. soulangiana and/or M. stellata plants, huh?

I agree about the layering Dave - seems the easiest and fastest way to produce a good size specimen, especially if magnolias are purported to be slow growing, although I believe there are a couple that are moderately fast growing!! Terry I love the two you speak of. Stellata always reminds me of stars when it's in full bloom!! I guess that's what it's name depicts huh!! I will grow a magnolia, I will grow a magnolia .......... :-)

Sue and MaVie - took the tour and yes it is breathtakingly beautiful although I don't think I could live in an area without all my green forest around me!! Michelle2000 used to post many pics of wild plants and she is from Joshua Tree!! But I really would love to see it all one day!! I haven't ventured far since arriving in the States - mainly visited Chicago, the East coast and Georgia!!

I have a question about the southern magnolia tree. I just got some small trees (suckers like on tomato plants)out from under some old big magnolia trees where the bottom limbs had laid on the ground for a long time and had took root. Will these not make good trees? Has anyone ever started a magnolia tree this way?