Magnolia trees help/advise

[juliecocking 10]

I recently purchased 2 magnolia trees to be honest they just look like 2 twigs they have been planted about a month now I can see some tiny buds on them now does anyone know when they will look like the lovely magnolia trees I envisioned?

[neilwhit 10]

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=599

[Mayfly182 10]

Hah. Magnolias are exceptionally slow growing, that's why plants of any reasonable size cost so much.

My mum planted a white Magnolia × soulangeana in her garden 14 years ago. It was about 2 feet tall when planted and now it's a large shrub of about 7 or 8 feet tall. It might be another decade before it looks like a tree and not a shrub. At least Magnolia x soulangeana flowers well when young, my mum's plant is covered with beautiful flowers every year.

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The only thing I could recommend is if there's space to the North or East of them, to plant a small tree or large shrub which grows fast but doesn't live that long. I can give you some ideas if you want.

[Chez2 10]

juliecocking; nothing is going to show much growth in two weeks at this time of year!

 

Make sure you haven't put them where they will get the morning sun if they are spring flowering. The flower buds need to defrost slowly on a winter or spring morning before the sun shines on them otherwise the flowers may not open. If they do open they might look dried up and 'burnt'. The same advice goes for camellias.

 

We have had spring flowering magnolias but only have a summer flowering one now. It was bought for us sixteen years ago as a three foot high plant, its now a decent sized but still fairly skinny tree.