Magnolia Pruning

[fore]

I have a small Magnolia I'm just growing for fun. Only had it one yr. I'm wondering about pruning it. The branches have I think, flower buds? (they are furry knubs at the terminal branching) I need to prune it for next yrs growth. If I prune now, will I just eliminate this yrs flowers?..which is fine. Just dont want to kill it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[RichKid]

what type of magnolia is it? most magnolia species wouldnt make easy bonsai specimens, but cutting off the buds will not kill it. You're just removing the flowers.

 

[fore]

what type of magnolia is it? most magnolia species wouldnt make easy bonsai specimens, but cutting off the buds will not kill it. You're just removing the flowers.

No idea, a gift from a family member. And Thanks, I thought they were the flower buds

 

[coh]

They sound like flower buds. I've just started working with a magnolia ("Leonard Messel"). I acquired it in the fall 2011. Last spring I let it bloom (wanted to see the flowers) then cut it back very hard, and it responded with strong growth. It has also set flower buds for this season. I've attached 2 photos. The first shows it last spring before I cut back. You can see the leaf buds starting to open and 2 larger flower buds in the center of the photo. This photo was taken later in the season (March, probably) so at this point your leaf buds should still be tight. The second photo shows the flowers, which are large but have a great fragrance.

I've seen good magnolia bonsai in person and in books. International bonsai had an article about them at one point. Personally I think they look best in spring when the buds are opening, and in winter, as the branch structure can be very interesting. The flowers themselves are somewhat large.

Chris

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Should be safe to prune it, but why not let it flower first?

If its deciduous, likely it's Chinese (star) magnolia, or Japanese (tulip) magnolia. If it has leaves, probably Southern magnolia. Down here the star magnolias bloom first, some are just starting. Tulip magnolias are a bit later, just after redbuds.