I have read some contradictionary information about pruning Magnolia Trees here in the Pacific Northwest. We have several mature Magnolia Trees, although they are very healthy, some branches have crossed or are crossing and are pulling down if the lower branch (typically newer growth) Any opinions on which branch should be pruned the newer or older? Also I'm assuming the growth spores on the primary limbs should also be pruned. Thanks in Advance for you help opinion/suggestion
Hi Gerrard: We prune an evergreen Magnolia much differently than how we prune a deciduous Magnolia. Also, we have to prune various forms of deciduous Magnolias different from each other also. We simply do not prune a Campbellii or Sprengeri like we would a Stellata, Kobus or even a Liliflora. The evergreens will respond to conventional pruning and shaping, even shearing in some cases, whereas most deciduous simply will balk at such methods. The main difference is that evergreens will grow back from the tips of the branches once cut but a deciduous in most cases will not respond at the terminals at all but may send out new growth up to a foot or more below where the cut was made depending on the form and sometimes the variety of deciduous Magnolia. I suggest you join the UBC forums and post some photos of your trees and tell us what you want from them or contact an ISA arborist to come in and give you an evaluation of your trees and recommendation of their pruning needs. Ideally, we want a nice full head on our evergreen Magnolias if we can get it or we at least settle for some sense of shape or we can have an upright, spreading form. If left alone the trees will more likely, depending on whether they are common forms of Southern Magnolia or not, develop into an upright, spreading form. Round headed shaped trees here have been popular but they will require pruning to shape them when they are young and later or severe pruning when they are older with intermittent shaping about once every year or two. We generally leave a deciduous Magnolia alone, leave it like it is unless we have to prune it or we want a particular shape such as giving a Star Magnolia a nice, round headed shape but that takes a while longer to accomplish than dealing with an evergreen Magnolia. With some forms of deciduous Magnolias a round headed tree is just not going to happen no matter what we do. Crossing branches can be trouble when the brittle branches are touching one another. For many Magnolias this is something rather common with more likely seen supple branches crossing and touching and are not usually a big problem at all for several years. Supple branches for the most part do not cause damage to the wood but brittle older branches can and do cause wood injury. It is the wear from the rubbing of the crossing brittle branches that will cause concern and will either need to be cut back or perhaps removed altogether. Jim
