On the eastern seaboard, in the South, and as far west as Texas, the sweetbay magnolia ((Magnolia virginiana) is a native evergreen tree that grows to heights of 50-feet in the in the great outdoors. This magnolia seems as a landscape specimen tree in nonnative states in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant-hardiness zones 5 through 10. In climates that are cool — if pruned frequently — it stays a shrub. Sweetbay magnolia creates creamy-white, fragrant flowers throughout the warm months, offering fragrance and elegance to drop.
Plan the form of the magnolia before pruning any branches. A cluster of stems grows in the bottom of a tree that is young. To acquire a powerful leader remove all branches but one from the foundation. Keep the numerous foundation stems to get a fuller look, if expanding the magnolia as a shrub.
Cut away any damaged, diseased or dead branches. Prune these branches all of the way with their base, where they intersect having a branch that is stronger.
Thin out crowded branches. Plants require air-filtration and appropriate sunlight. Branches show illness or can wrap around each other. These stems back to the branch that is supporting.
Make any instruction cuts, depending on whether you want several or a leader -stemmed foundation. To get a leader that is central, select the straightest stem in the bottom and cut-away all stems to the floor. Prune them to the floor, as well when sprouts seem. With this type of pruning that is vigorous, the plant should be at least two years old; a plant that is younger might not endure. To get a several-stemmed foundation, prune stems that seem crooked, diseased or damaged.
Follow the normal form of the magnolia to make any pruning cuts. It normally assumes a pyramid shape, broader in the bottom and narrower in the top. Avoid deviating from this form to get a wholesome-looking shrub or tree.