Magnolias do not produce new seed heads every year, and some proud owners have never even seen ripe magnolia seeds - even though the magnolia in question is already 25 years old. All the better if you are actually lucky enough to get the seeds. Because you can grow new magnolias from them with the help of a little patience and luck.
How to obtain and use magnolia seeds?
To obtain magnolia seeds, harvest ripe seed kernels from cracked capsules, remove the red shell and pulp, and store the seeds in a cool place (as frost germinators) for 3-4 months. Then sow them in potting soil in spring and care for the young plants.
Seed extraction from the fruit
After flowering, many magnolias produce fruit, although this does not always contain seeds. The so-called follicle encloses the - inedible - pulp with the seed capsules and bursts open as soon as the seeds are ripe. It is extremely important to time this point precisely: After all, propagation is only successful when the seeds are fully ripe. So harvest the seeds from the cracked capsules and carefully remove the attached red shell and the surrounding pulp. Both can later lead to unwanted putrefactive processes. The actual seeds of magnolia are black. It is easier to remove the pulp and shell if you soak the seeds in a little warm water beforehand.
Growing magnolias from seeds
However, the newly obtained seeds cannot be planted immediately because the magnolia is a frost germinator. This means that you first have to keep the seeds cool for several months before you can sow them the following spring. This method is called stratification in technical language and works as follows:
- Pack the cleaned and dry seeds in an airtight container (€25.00 on Amazon) with moist sand.
- The seeds must be completely surrounded by sand.
- Place the container in the freezer or vegetable compartment of your refrigerator.
- Leave it there for about three to four months.
Alternatively, you can simply put the seeds in a pot with potting soil and finally bury it in a suitable place in the garden. However, the surface of the pot should not be covered with garden soil, but should remain free. Now all you need is a cold winter.
Care for the young plants properly
The following spring, remove the stratified seeds from your refrigerator and sow them as follows:
- Fill small flower pots with loose potting soil.
- Wet them well.
- Place the seeds and cover them lightly with soil.
- Now place the pot in a not too warm, but bright location.
- Alternatively, you can also bury the pot in the garden.
- However, this only works if there are definitely no more frosts to be expected, especially at night.
- Always water well so that the substrate remains moist.
Now it's time to be patient again. Magnolias can germinate very quickly, but they can also take a few months.
Tips & Tricks
The home-grown young magnolias are still quite sensitive to frost and should therefore be allowed to spend their first winter in a pot and in a frost-free place that is still only a maximum of 10 °C warm. You can only finally plant out the magnolia the following spring.
