Off with its head.... magnolia

[88V8]

The magnolia seen here in 2014... deciduous... the leaves just opening...



...has prospered mightily and now blocks the view from the kitchen, a fact so often mentioned by OH that I can ignore it no longer. It is or was a beautiful view across hedges, fields of cattle, to distant hills.

It could be 20/30 years old. In general, one is not supposed to prune magnolia. They tend to bleed, and as a neighbour up the lane has demonstrated, haircutting them produces a horrible shaving brush regrowth which is downright ugly in winter.

Currently topping out at perhaps 10 ft, I intend to cut it down to about 12" and let it regrow, singling out the shoots to produce a new structure. Yes, it may die.

What is the best, or least-worst time, do you think? Gloucestershire...

V8

[oldapple]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/magnolia/ ... d%20shrubs.


Beautiful photo.

I’ve just cheated and found advice as above which suggests now is about the best time to prune. RHS also suggests ‘staging’ the pruning over several years to avoid causing stress to the tree. Not sure that will avoid possible marital stress though!

[BullDog]

Magnolias are magnificent trees. I just don't have the space to accommodate one. Shame really. Good luck with the radical surgery.

FWIW, I haven't had a plant die yet irrespective of when I hack and slash at it. I hesitate to call it pruning since that suggests a degree of skill or knowledge that is absent here.

[Nimrod103]

Magnolias are magnificent trees. I just don't have the space to accommodate one. Shame really. Good luck with the radical surgery.

FWIW, I haven't had a plant die yet irrespective of when I hack and slash at it. I hesitate to call it pruning since that suggests a degree of skill or knowledge that is absent here.

Magnificent for about 3 days while in bloom. Then a storm hits (quite common in May) blowing the petals onto the ground making a big mess. Or if a storm doesn't hit, a slightly frosty night turns most of the petals brown.

They don't earn their keep in a garden IMHO.

[Breelander]

Magnolias are magnificent trees. I just don't have the space to accommodate one. Shame really...

I have Magnolia 'Susan' in my garden. it's one the smaller magnolias.

Magnificent for about 3 days while in bloom. Then a storm hits (quite common in May) blowing the petals onto the ground making a big mess. Or if a storm doesn't hit, a slightly frosty night turns most of the petals brown.

They don't earn their keep in a garden IMHO.

'Susan' flowers slightly later than most and manages to miss most of the frosts.

Magnolia ‘Susan’ has purple-pink tulip flowers in late-April and May and this American-bred magnolia, one of the so-called Seven Sisters or Little Girls, is one of the best small magnolias ever bred. ‘Susan’ flowers in May and often avoids all the frosts - and the dark flowers stand out against pale spring skies.

https://www.crocus.co.uk/features/_/gar ... leid.1581/

[Dod101]

In my last house I inherited a magnificent magnolia, at least when it bloomed. It was tall, at least 15 feet probably nearer to 20 feet. Unfortunately the frost got it most years but I kept it and pruned it most years. That did it no harm and in frost free springs its large white blooms were worth the wait and disappointment of most years.

I think though, to answer the question, that cutting it back drastically to 12 inches(????) may well kill it. How about some sort of compromise? Or just remove it altogether? I suppose cutting it back to 12 inches is a sort of kill or cure. Apropos the other thread re the correct tools, it does not look a very onerous task.

Dod

[GoSeigen]

I agree with Dod that a drastic cut to 12 inches is likely to kill the tree.

If you don't care much for the tree, and it's in the wrong place, why not plant a replacement in a suitable location and then remove this one in a year or two when the other is established?

If you value it I would follow the advice in the RHS link. Prune it gradually over a 3-5 year cycle, the longer the better. Cut out around a fifth to a quarter of the medium-size branches all the way back to where they join a larger branch. First cut out dead, diseased or damaged wood, then focus on 1. the older wood, 2. the tallest branches that are blocking the sun/view 3. branches in the centre of the tree (to open it to the light and air). Any branches which meet multiple criteria are prime candidates of course.

That sort of pruning should be beneficial to the tree and might achieve your missus's aims.

EDIT: regards timing, maybe do it around the time the leaves start dropping, then hopefully most of the sap has gone, but you can still get a feel for how the tree looks with its leaves. Do the cuts as neatly as possible and maybe coat with a suitable wound covering.

GS

[88V8]

I agree with Dod that a drastic cut to 12 inches is likely to kill the tree.
If you don't care much for the tree, and it's in the wrong place, why not plant a replacement in a suitable location and then remove this one in a year or two when the other is established?
If you value it I would follow the advice in the RHS link. Prune it gradually over a 3-5 year cycle, the longer the better.
EDIT: regards timing, maybe do it around the time the leaves start dropping...

The garden is stuffed full... there is nowhere to start another large shrub. We do have a young grandiflora that is already about 20', and a stellata.

Reason I did not want to stretch the pruning over several years is that the regrowth would be shaded and therefore tend to etoilate, if indeed there is any regrowth at all. My theory is that it is more likely to regrow if the stubs are in the sun.
It is chancy, though. Some plants will break from old wood and some won't.

I agree re timing. The moment of decision approaches.

V8

[Dod101]

Never heard the word etoilate (sic) Even if the OP means to say etiolate (pale and drawn through lack of light) I have never heard that word before either. Interesting and quite a useful word, thank you.

From the photo the plant you have does nor seem particularly vigorous, certainly compared to the one I had and I think cutting it right back to 12 inches or so will solve your problem in that you will then have plenty of light but I am inclined as I said, to think that it may well kill it, whether in the sun or not. There are times when you need to do that and this may be one of them.

Dod