Do you have a star magnolia in your garden and can't get enough of it? Are you now looking to grow more specimens? This plant can be reproduced using the following methods.
How to propagate a star magnolia?
Star magnolias can be propagated by planting, cuttings or sowing. In autumn, a shoot is lowered or a cutting is cut and planted in potting soil. When sowing, seeds are stratified, soaked and sown in spring.
Propagation by reducers
The simplest propagation method for the star magnolia, which requires the least amount of effort, is propagation using planters. This method should be carried out in the fall. It can be implemented provided that at least one shoot of the plant hangs down to the ground.
How to do it:
- choose half-woody shoot
- Loosen the soil underneath and dig a 15 cm deep furrow
- Enrich soil with compost
- Slightly score and defoliate the shoot with a knife
- Pull the shoot down to the ground, place it in the furrow and pile it up with soil (weight down with a stone if necessary)
- Shoot tip should stick out
- pour heavily
- Separate the shoot from the mother plant as soon as it has roots (indicated by new buds)
Propagation by cuttings
Another method that has proven itself and requires little time is propagation from cuttings. The disadvantage is that the star magnolia cuttings root slowly. The propagation method can be done when the star magnolia is cut in autumn or spring. If the cuttings are rooted successfully, the result is pure daughter plants.
Select an unbranched shoot. Remove the leaves and cut the lower half of the shoot slightly (encourage root formation). Now the shoot goes into a pot with potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and is kept moist for the coming period. It should be frost-free for the first winter. It can be planted outdoors in spring.
Propagation by sowing
If you want to get new varieties, you should propagate the star magnolia through its seeds. The seeds are frost and cold germinators and germinate unreliably. The germination time for some of them can be up to three years! Another disadvantage is that the plants obtained first bloom after an average of 10 years.
How to proceed:
- removing the red seed coat from fresh seeds
- stratify in the fridge over the winter
- soak seeds in water for 2 days in spring
- Sowing seeds in potting soil
- germinate at 20 °C
- transplant when there is no frost
Tips & Tricks
Do not leave the star magnolia seeds dry for too long. This causes them to lose their ability to germinate.
