Where to plant Magnolia?

hotcookie101

Hi,

I LOVE magnolia trees/bushes, and they seem to grow really well in the area (loads of them in peoples front gardens that make me almost crash as I drive by staring at them )

So I have just ordered one . I know I have the right type of acid soil, my question is in which border should I plant it for its best chance of survival? I know they can be quite precious until established

My garden faces almost exactly south east and I have a long border up the left hand side (looking from the house-so towards the SE direction, which I suppose makes it a SW facing border, which can get quite dry depending on which bit it is (there is a large cypress in my neighbours garden, which we have had overhanging branches cut back, but the soil in the bed is parched there still-so I presume best not to plant in the middle of the bed) The top of the bed is beside the pond, soil is heavy and quite dry, rhubarb doing very well there...

I then have a short border on the other side beside a fence (faces east) but there is a large shed south of it, so in the summer this border gets sun for the morning and thats it. The soil is heavy clay in this bed (has azaleas and rhododendrons in it, wild garlic, hardy geraniums, hellebores and stuff)

There is then a smaller bit at the top of the garden-which is sloped so this bed is exposed-a small japanese acer planted here was killed off by the wind I think. the soil is very hard and heavy here, have a shrub thing and a tree peony there (its new but seems to be doing quite well)

So-the million dollar question-can the magnolia live in the partially shaded bed or does it need one of the full sun ones? OR should I just plant it in the lawn at the top of the garden (less exposed than the top bed I think as it doesn't have the big drop that the pond creates for the actual bed.... )

If anyone can make sense of my ramblings your advice would be much appreciated

laurel7172

I planted a magnolia stellata in a shady corner of the garden last winter. It's flowering beautifully now, so I guess that means it's happy enough...

Primrose

As far away from the house as possible, in a wide open space, is my recommendation because these Magnolia Soulangeanas have the capacity to grow into huge trees over a period of years. If you look at your small plant when it arrives, tryt and envisage the large plant it will become in 10 or 15 years time and you will realise that most of the borders will be inadequate for its expansion after only a few years.

By the time you have realised that, it will probably be far too big to risk replanting as it will have developed an extensive root system and you will probably kill it trying to move it. These trees are so magnificent that they really deserve to be given pride of place in an open lawn or somewhere else with sufficient expansion room where they can be enjoyed for the specimen tree that they are in their own right.

hotcookie101

Thanks! Am now torn between putting it in the partially shaded border beside the shed, or in the grass in my top section (the garden slopes up, is approx 35m long, and has a top bit of just lawn (and my veggie patch and small exposed bed) about 10m x 8m deep-a big magnolia tree would look fab up there, and we were planning on planting a few apple trees there too.... just need to figure out how we would cut the grass

ds1980

aarrrrggh!



I planted a magnolia stellata in the back of my border. Cant you just prune it if it gets too big!!

ps how do i post a pic?

imataloss

Good luck with your magnolia growing.
I love magnolias too. Have tried to grow a few without success. I have planted one in the garden which didn`t survive. Have had another in a pot for a couple of years but that doesn`t seem to be doing much either. Just looks like a stick with a few leaves. At least it`s still alive. Any suggestions how I can help it along? Thank you.

morg_monster

ds1980 wrote: »

aarrrrggh!



I planted a magnolia stellata in the back of my border. Cant you just prune it if it gets too big!!

ps how do i post a pic?

stellatas are the smallest magnolias, according to bbc website max 3m high, and by 10 yrs they are usually only 5ft tall. We've got one in a border in the garden of our new house, aren't they gorgeous? such a great surprise when that started flowering!!