Propagation Of Magnolias

To propagate magnolias you need not only specialist gear but specialist knowledge. For cuttings, you need bottom heat below and automatic mist spray above, although there are growing trays that are very useful for some plants and quite fun to work with. After all, even if you do strike some magnolias that will grow from cuttings, you will have to wait a very long time before your plant equals the one you can buy from your garden center. If it is a variety that will actually grow from cuttings, then the chances are that when you select it from the nursery or garden center, it will very likely be in bud, or at the very least planning to flower the following year. Your homegrown magnolia, on the other hand, will be about three years behind.

Cuttings

For those who are dedicated to "doing it yourself' and are not bothered about the timeframe, this is what you must do. In early mid-summer, when the new growth has hardened a little, take a cutting of new growth where it joins last year's hardwood. Remove all but three or four leaves, then reduce the remaining leaves to about half their size. This prevents excess water loss, and also enables more cuttings to fit into the tray, which will have been filled with a suitable commercial propagating mix, watered and firmed down. Dip the cutting into a rooting hormone powder and place in the tray. Keep damp. Wait.

When the cuttings are rooted, and this will take between three and six months, pot the plants and place them in a shade house or such a shelter, until they have recovered from the shock. When they start to make new growth, plant them in the vegetable garden or other cultivated space and let them grow on until large enough to be planted permanently in the garden. This will take at least a year.

Seed

Growing magnolias from seed is a truly long-term hobby, but you could perhaps be rewarded with something special. You will notice that many magnolia seed pods are rather spectacular, brightly colored "cucumbers." When the seed is ripe-that is, when the fruiting cone splits-collect and dry the fruits. When dry, but not desiccated, shake the seeds free and put them in a bowl of warm water to which you have added 1 tsp (5 mL) of dishwashing detergent. This is to remove not only the hard outer coating but also the oily film. Take out of the water and place seeds in the refrigerator until late winter/early spring. Then prick in the seeds in a tray containing suitable seed-raising mix. When the seedlings are big enough, pot them, then proceed as for cuttings.

Budding and grafting are very skilled methods of propagating, so if you aspire to this, you will likely need some lessons from a professional.

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