Planting Magnolia Trees
Every year I always plant a collection of interesting and beautiful trees. It is such a joy to watch the gardens, groves, and allées evolve and expand around my Bedford, New York farm.
Not long ago, as part of a delivery of plants from the wholesale nursery, Monrovia, I received several magnolias - spreading evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs characterized by large, fragrant blooms, which may be bowl-shaped or star-shaped, in shades of white, pink, purple, green, or yellow. In many of the deciduous species, the eye-catching flowers often appear in early spring before the foliage. I already have several mature magnolias growing around my home. These younger specimens, Magnolia 'Black Tulip' and Magnolia 'Yellow Bird' will make wonderful additions.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Magnolias are believed to be one of the earliest known flowering plants, with fossils dating back millions of years. Researchers say Magnolia trees existed before bees, when flightless beetles were nature’s main pollinators. This is one of many Magnolias at my farm, and it’s blooming beautifully right now in a grove outside my new vegetable garden and up the carriage road from my stable.
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- I have several pink, white, and creamy yellow Magnolias. Magnolias produce impressive flowers that range from three to 12-inches in diameter. Some species of Magnolia flowers are also protogynous, meaning they appear with or before the tree’s leaves.
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- Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Magnolia blooms do not have true petals and sepals; instead, they have petal-like tepals.
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- These creamy yellow magnolias are outside my Summer House – also putting on a beautiful floral display this week.
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- Though it depends on the weather conditions, Magnolia flowers can last about two to three weeks, before falling.
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- Magnolias come in a vast array of cultivars and species that can grow successfully in most gardens. Eight Magnolia species are native to the United States. Many others are native to Asia. And most Magnolias do best when planted in full sun or partial shade.
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- Last week, my crew planted several young Magnolia trees. They were strategically placed before getting planted. Magnolias have wide, shallow root systems, so they need lots of room to grow. To prevent any confusion, the sod was removed from the exact planting location before the pot was moved and the hole was dug.
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- When planting a tree or shrub, measure the height of the root-ball to determine the approximate hole depth. Measure the diameter of the root ball to determine the width of the hole. The hole should be no deeper than the calculated depth. The rule of thumb is that the width of the hole should be a foot wider than the root-ball diameter.
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- And always have a good quality fertilizer on hand to mix with the soil of the new specimen being planted. Here, a sprinkle of fertilizer is mixed with bottom soil.
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- And then some is also mixed with the backfill soil. We use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food, which contains micronutrients to nourish above and below the soil.
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- The coated particles are formulated with kelp, earthworm castings, feather meal, and bone meal that support root strength and tree development.
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- As with every tree planted, once it is removed from its pot, the roots are scarified. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, intentional cuts are made to loosen the roots and create beneficial injuries.
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- Here is a closer look. scarifying helps the plant become established more quickly in its new environment.
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- Once the tree is properly positioned, the hole is backfilled. “Bare to the flare” is the general saying when planting trees – the top of the root flare should always be above ground.
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- And then the top soil is tamped down around the root ball to ensure there aren’t any air pockets.
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- I always like young trees staked to protect them as they develop. A bamboo stake came with this tree, so it will be left with it until it is well-established. This is a ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia, the darkest, most dramatic tulip Magnolia. When in bloom, it shows rich, deep burgundy-red six-inch-wide flowers that appear before the foliage emerges.
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- There was one bloom left on this tree when it arrived a couple weeks ago.
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- Magnolia tree leaves vary from shiny or waxy to soft, green, and saucer-shaped.
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- This is Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ has bright canary yellow three-and-a-half- inch flowers that emerge with the foliage later in spring after the danger of frosts. This one is starting to bloom now.
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- This magnolia tree is planted in the garden just outside my home, where I can see it every day. What magnolias are blooming where you live?
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