I have what I am relatively certain is a Star Magnolia that is getting too large. It is a deciduous Magnolia (not really what I would consider a tree) that blooms a white flower in early spring. We planted it about 10 years ago and it has gotten to be about 12 to 14 feet tall. I would like to maintain its height to around 8 or 10 feet. Can I take this much off the top without harming it? When is the right time of year here in Western Washington to do pruning on this shrub? Should I brush on some kind of sealant to the cut areas after pruning? Thanks in advance for any help you may provide. WashingtonGrown
pruning seal no. pruning a magnolia now, not really, wait till after it blooms. taking that much off at once, probably ok if one right. Any chance of a picture or two?
RonB, of the previous post, put it the best. Leave it alone, and it will grow on, showering your landscape with beauty. They do not like, any kind of disturbance.
The standard white form of stellata is like many of the deciduous Magnolias in that they may not respond very well to topping. The problem is that new growth may not soon come about from such a pruning. We can get by a little better by topping a ‘Royal Star’ as I've done and it grew back to where we wanted it to eventually be but it took four years to do it and all I trimmed off was two feet off the top. After blooming we can lightly snip or pinch off growth to help shape a tree but even here we do not like to severely prune the stellata and kobus forms as it takes too long for them to recuperate, produce new growth and in some cases there may not be any new growth to come about from areas right below where we made our cuts. You have to know in advance that for you to top your tree back 2-4 feet that the risk that you will face is that your tree may not respond well or not at all. Even some of the whole pruned limbs can later die out on you. You should have a severe reduction in the amount of blossoms you will have, perhaps for years. If the tree has to be topped then do it right after it blooms and then cross your fingers hoping your tree will snap out of it. One thing for sure, you will learn how vigorous a tree you have after a severe pruning. If your tree is not a strong growing plant then I would not prune it but lightly snip or pinch the growth back hoping to make it shapelier and fuller if that is your real preference. Once a Star Magnolia has been topped back a foot or more then foot traffic around the plant should be minimized for some time until you start getting new growth. The more times you walk near the plant the less likely it will behave the way you want it to after a major pruning. Pruning sealers are generally not needed for non seeping and non bleeding trees, nor are sealers or pruning sprays recommended for Magnolias. Jim
Thanks to everyone for all your responses. I had no idea this Magnolia is so sensitive. I've attached a photo wherein I've actually caught my daughter doing some yard work and the Magnolia (assuming I've identified it correctly) is in the background to the right. I have decided to refrain from the heavy pruning I had planned. But now I wonder when and how I should be fertilizing to maximize the spring blooms? Many thanks again to all.
Probably no need for feed, just wait for it to get older. Looks fine now, wouldn't look fine decapitated. Star magnolias aren't "sensitive", whacking the top out of a tree is always destructive. Trees (and treelike shrubs) have an architecture, a line pattern. Cutting a big chunk away is no less consequential than knocking away the upper storey and roof of a building.