Magnolia seed pods? 6 June 2020 at 8:41PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 12 replies 121 views

twopenny

Last year I bought my first. longed for. Magnolia Stellata and this spring got lots of lovely blooms.

Now I see on the ends of the branches where it has flowered there are slim dark green pinappley things and I don't know if I should remove them.

I'm guessing they are seed pods

This is still small, about 2½ft high and wide ,bought from a supermarket and has nearly trippled in size in the one year but remains in a pot that should last another year, two if I'm lucky. If it keeps growing at this rate I'll have to gift it to someone

Any advice would be really welcome.

onwards&upwards

Those are the fruits, you can leave them where they are.  

twopenny

Thank you Onward.

Good to know. Wasn't sure if they would weaken the plant growing them. Like deadheading and removing seed pods from flowering plants.

Davesnave

Making or attempting to make seeds will be a waste of the plant's energies, though probably not that significant. You can safely cut the pods off, since they won't be of any value to you.

onwards&upwards

twopenny said:

Thank you Onward.

Good to know. Wasn't sure if they would weaken the plant growing them. Like deadheading and removing seed pods from flowering plants.

Your magnolia has long since finished flowering, so removing them will have no impact there. 

As Davesnave says, it won't do any harm to take them off, but equally it won't do any harm to leave them there either.  You wouldn't remove the apples from a crab apple tree or the berries from a holly!

twopenny

Ok. I think I won't worry about them, may snap them off if they start swelling as they are only small at the moment and I have enough to do waging war on the bugs.

I seem to have a lot of problems this year. As a completly new garden from scratch I'm fairly miffed at the variety of 'challenges' I'm having.

Davesnave

You will have problems every year; it's the nature of gardening to be full of difficulties to overcome. Unlike those who went before, we also have far less in out armoury to combat the bugs and the micro-organisms that thwart our best efforts.

Still, things could be worse. I've been given permission to fish some excellent virgin river this season and so far I've not been once. First it was Covid and now it's a distinct lack of H2O. We have it tough, but the fish and other wild animals have it much tougher!

onwards&upwards

twopenny said:

Ok. I think I won't worry about them, may snap them off if they start swelling as they are only small at the moment and I have enough to do waging war on the bugs.

I seem to have a lot of problems this year. As a completly new garden from scratch I'm fairly miffed at the variety of 'challenges' I'm having.

The best way to deal with unwanted bugs and slugs is to attract wildlife to your garden.  Sparrows will eat aphids, and blackbirds and hedgehogs will take slugs and snails. 

twopenny

Onwards, I first attracted the birds. Wonderful now but they have found my raspberries and strawberries and seem to prefer them to aphids. Haven't noticed a derth of slugs.

Sadly no hedgehogs as I've had to barricade the garden against the neighbours cat that want's to use if as a lavatory and catch the birds.

There is also a badger run but the badgers have been scared off by sports lights being errected by their set and run. Aparantly they used to dig up peoples bulbs too.

I'll think about a compromise. Wonder if I can make a hedgehog sized door under the gate that the cat can't get through.

Dave, I think you'll find there's rather more water now after the last few days!

Davesnave

twopenny said:

Dave, I think you'll find there's rather more water now after the last few days!

My river monitor says our river here is falling tonight and it isn't very full yet. More wet stuff on the way though! Sunday or Monday, I reckon.
https://www.farsondigitalwatercams.com/locations/watertown

twopenny

Facinating site. I looked up one near me, Dulverton and it does look shallow.

The Barle on the border of Somerset and Devon is looking good as is Horner Water. Not sure why but may be to do with less being diverted due to lockdown.