Magnolia on an exposed site

scottishminnie

I live in a rural location on a pretty exposed site. Although we have some sheltered areas in the garden I would say they are few and far between and , where they exist, fairly shady.


I've been given a very generous gift of a magnolia bush. It's around 6ft tall and a good strong plant. I do know that they are quite "fragile" and don't really tolerate poor weather/cold/wind and rain.


My friend who lives 1/4 mile away has a beautiful magnolia however it is located in an enclosed walled garden which I guess provides enough protection.


Does anyone have any pointers as to where to site it to give it the best chance. I do have a wonderful Japanese maple which is similarly delicate however it is small enough to be in a raised bed which has a good deal of shelter. I don't think any of my raised planters are big enough for the magnolia.


It's such a thoughtful gesture I want to give it the best possible start.


Thanks

I_have_spoken

Is it in a pot right now?

VfM4meplse

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Is it in a pot right now?

Mine is, and I will need to re-pot shortly. Any advice on soil type / positioning?

Sorry to hijack the thread

scottishminnie

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Is it in a pot right now?

it is in a pot although it looks quite pot bound to me - bits poking out the bottom.
It also has a tag so I will look later and see the exact species.

sobie

Magnolias are not fragile. They will happily grow on an exposed site - BUT the flowers will be damaged by wind and frost. They prefer an slighlty acidic soil.

scottishminnie

Thank you sobie. I may be confusing magnolias with camellias. My late grandmother had one of them (can't remember which now) and it had a winter "coat" made of hessian which was put over a layer of fleece and worn in winter. Seemed like a major hassle. Despite being carefully tended to by my aunt (who inherited grandmother's house) it died around 3 months after she did.


The variety is Magnolia Susan so I will investigate a bit more.


One more question - do they grow really quite large? I have an acre of garden so space isn't an issue however I don't want to have to move it in 10 years if it morphs into a monster!

I_have_spoken

'Susan' up to 4m http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/magnolia-susan/classid.4143/

scottishminnie

Thanks - I think it must be quite established then which is good. I'll have a wander round the garden tomorrow night and scout out potential spots. Will then supervise hubby while he plants it on Sunday.


Thanks for your help all.

VfM4meplse

So both magnolias and camellias like acidic soil? I live in a v hard water area, have been adding a pinch of citric acid in each watering unless there's something else I should be doing?