Many a gardener's fingers literally itch when a particularly beautiful magnolia holds out possible cuttings to him. Unfortunately, propagation of cuttings from magnolia plants is only successful in very rare cases; instead, it is better to use more promising methods such as lowering or removing moss.
How to propagate a magnolia with a cutting?
Propagation of magnolias via cuttings is rarely successful, so it is recommended to use methods such as lowering or mossing instead. When attempting cuttings, a young shoot is cut, dipped in rooting hormone and planted in growing substrate.
Not very promising: propagation via cuttings or seeds
Anyone who was able to propagate a magnolia from cuttings has literally won the lottery, because magnolia cuttings have a very difficult time developing roots. If you still want to try it, we recommend the following procedure:
- Cut off a young, approx. 10 centimeter long shoot from the previous year.
- Score the end to be rooted crosswise with a sharp and clean knife.
- Dip it in a good rooting hormone (€9.00 on Amazon).
- Plant the cutting in a slightly moist growing medium.
- Keep the soil moist, but never wet.
- Pull holes in a translucent plastic bag and place it over the growing pot.
- Place the pot in a bright and warm place.
Now you have to be patient, because the first roots will only form - if at all - after a few weeks. However, the probability of success is very low. By the way, magnolias sometimes produce seeds, but seed propagation only succeeds with a lot of luck.
Remove magnolias from moss or propagate them using a planter
The most promising method for magnolias is to propagate them using planters or moss, which is actually just a form of planting. Leave the shoot to be rooted on the mother plant at least until the following year, or even better until the year after next. Then the young magnolia is strong enough to separate. The lowering agents are best taken after flowering and the leaves have formed, when the plant has enough strength again to put its energy into the development of roots. Remember to fertilize the mother plant regularly, for example with mature compost or a good rhododendron fertilizer.
Tips & Tricks
For evergreen magnolias, cuttings or cuttings are not taken in early summer, but in late summer or early autumn, approximately between the end of August and mid-September.
