Magnolias evolved '150 million years ago' says expert
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Magnolias are known for their large pink or white flowers and sweet, floral scent. Now, experts have shared how to prune the popular plant. The plants can look spectacular when they’re in full bloom but can soon start to look weathered once they’ve finished flowering. To keep a magnolia looking its best, it may need occasional pruning.
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However, before pruning the plant, gardeners should find out what magnolia they have.
Wall-trained magnolias
Many people have magnolias that can be trained up a wall, particularly if it’s a hot, sunny spot.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), gardeners should “remove shoots growing towards the wall”.
Shoots growing outwards should be shortened so they only have one or two leaves left.
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They added: “If these outward-growing shoots bear flower buds, delay pruning until immediately after flowering.”
Deciduous magnolias (trees)
These magnolias lose their leaves in the winter and don’t usually require pruning, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
However, deciduous magnolias do need pruning to keep trees healthy, to reduce its size or renovate it.
To keep it healthy, remove dead, damaged or diseased wood from the magnolia.
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While magnolias are beautiful, it may be necessary to reduce their size, especially if they’re growing out of control or over someone else’s boundary line.
Gardeners who want to reduce the size of their magnolia should thin out the stems to the trunk or to a side shoot.
Do this over a long period of time – several years if need be – to keep the tree stress-free.
Some magnolia trees can become overgrown and misshapen after years of neglect.
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To renovate the tree, prune it over a two to three year period.
It may take time for the tree to recover so gardeners should be patient.
Any shoots the tree sends up, or dead stems, should be removed.
After planting a magnolia tree, it’s best to shape it.
To do this, remove weak stems, any stems that are too long and badly-positioned stems.
Magnolia trees should only be pruned between mid-summer and early autumn.
Cut the trees back to a natural fork in the branches so there aren’t stubs.
Evergreen magnolias
As the name suggests, these keep their leaves all year round so rarely need pruning.
Only prune if they appear unhealthy, if they need to be renovated due to being overgrown or misshapen, or if they’ve just been planted.
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