Magnolia - The Magic of Spring in Your Garden

In short: Plant magnolia after 20 May in an open, sunny and wind-sheltered spot, into a hole enriched with about one third compost or peat and slightly acidic to neutral soil. Do not plant it deep, as the roots are shallow. Seedlings start flowering in their third to fourth year.

Magnolia - The Magic of Spring in Your Garden

Magnolia belongs to the Magnoliaceae family. Magnolia is an evergreen tree growing in South and Southeast Asia. Magnolia is named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol. There are 345 species of magnolias growing worldwide. More than half of magnolia species are threatened in the wild due to agriculture and logging. Magnolias grow relatively slowly, but they are long-lived. The most beautiful flowers on earth are found on Southern Magnolia (lat. Magnolia grandiflora). This is a medium-sized tree whose flowers are spectacular, measuring 9-12 cm in diameter. Magnolia is the plant featured in the state emblem of Mississippi, where it grows abundantly, earning the state its nickname as the Magnolia State. So how do you grow and maintain magnolia in your garden?

Magnolia - How to Grow It

Growing magnolias is not difficult at all, but you need to understand where magnolia comes from and treat it accordingly.

Pre-grown magnolia needs hardening off. Once the first leaves sprout, we gradually prepare it for lower temperatures and more light. We harden it off by taking the plant outside. Initially into shade, then partial shade, and finally into full sun so it can adjust. Always keep it in one location for a week. We no longer bring it directly into the room at night, but for example into the hallway or veranda, ensuring the temperature doesn't drop below 0°C. This prevents negative reactions to harsh sun or frost. The magnolia's roots will remain healthy, but the leaves could suffer, unnecessarily prolonging its growing season and delaying flowering.

After May 20th, we can plant the young magnolia in the location we've chosen, where it will grow beautifully. We dig a hole for the seedling and add about one-third compost or peat. The soil should be slightly acidic to neutral, well-watered. We also use starter fertilizer. We can also soak the seedlings in a bucket of water for about an hour. Don't plant the magnolia too deep. Magnolia has shallow roots (be careful when hoeing around the plant to avoid doing more harm than good). Cover the area around the magnolia with mulch bark. Keep the roots moist, but not waterlogged. We can mulch around the magnolia several times a year.

Choose the location for your magnolia thoughtfully. It should be in an open space where it stands out as a solitary specimen. Where you can, for example, see it beautifully from a window or from the house entrance. Near a seating area. Give it partial dominance in your garden space. Tucking it away in a corner or in the shade of large shrubs or plants might disappoint you later. For abundant flowering, it needs plenty of sun and a warm location. Although it is frost-hardy, it's good to protect it from strong winds. We don't recommend transplanting the plant. It may have either too small a root ball that won't establish itself, or conversely, too large a ball that will fall apart during handling.

Even though magnolia is frost-hardy, if the temperature drops below -15°C, we can cover it with black non-woven fabric. However, not for longer than 14 days, so the plant doesn't become weakened. We should protect the plant this way for 3 years, until it establishes firm roots, ideally to a frost-free depth.

Some magnolia species flower from early spring, i.e. from March. Seedlings begin to flower in their third to fourth year. We can also carry out pruning - always after flowering. However, magnolias have a naturally interesting growth habit that doesn't need to be modified by pruning.

Magnolia - Where We Most Often Encounter It

Besides being a feast for the eyes, magnolia is a tree of beautiful stature (it's always nicely bushy and shaped), and is truly something to behold. In Asia, it's cultivated especially for its white or salmon-colored, strongly fragrant flowers, which have several uses. We can use them to decorate interiors, wedding receptions, or place them in a bowl of water to perfume our interior. Magnolia flowers are strongly aromatic. They're also added to fragrant ointments. Magnolia essential oil is a rarity, added to the most luxurious perfumes. Magnolia has many uses in medicine, where, for example, the bark is used in research to stop tumor growth, bark extract inhibits bacterial multiplication, etc.