Converting sweetbays to multi-stemmed

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Decumbent Cincinnati, OH(Zone 6b) Oct 26, 2005

I'm growing a number of sweetbay magnolias from seed. Currently they are two years old, about 2-3' tall, and of about 1/2 - 1" caliper. At what age and at what time of year do nurseries cut them back so they form into multi-stemmed clumps? Thanks,

Scott

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Oct 29, 2005

Hey Scott, is that you? The Liquidambar orientalis guy? If so, welcome to DG!!! It's nice to see some of the good people from "that other forum" coming over to DG now.

You can whack your magnolias back in very early spring, or (if they are the northern decidous type and you can guarantee a mild winter) any time after a good hard freeze defoliates them. The younger the better.

But they make such beautiful small, single-stemmed trees that I would hesitate to do so. The reason some of them are seen as clumps is because they were damaged in their misspent youth.

Guy S.

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Decumbent Cincinnati, OH(Zone 6b) Oct 29, 2005

Indeed, Guy, it is I. I'm under an alias now, so as to avoid indictments from special prosecutors. It took me thirty minutes of rooting through a glossary to come up with the perfect name.

Thanks for the info on the Sweetbay. It occurs to me that I've never seen any single stemmed. They are always sold as clumps. You've given me the courage to let these grow lean and mean. I think I will spare them the pruners.

Scott

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Oct 30, 2005

I guess being decumbent allows you to fly under the radar of those prosecutors!

If your magnolia gets injured or rabbit-clipped you'll wind up with a clump anyway, but give it a chance to be a tree first. This is the land of opportunity -- or at least it used to be!

Guy S.

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