You can propagate magnolias through cuttings, air layering, or grafting, with cuttings being a common and relatively straightforward method, especially for hybrids like the Little Gem.
Here’s a breakdown of the methods:
1. Cuttings:
- Timing: Take cuttings in the summer, after the buds have set.
- Selection: Choose 6-8 inch cuttings from new, healthy growth, ideally with a few leaves at the tip.
- Preparation: Remove lower leaves, leaving a few at the tip. Make a 2-inch vertical slip (scar) at the cut end. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
Planting:
- Plant in a well-draining, sterile rooting medium (e.g., perlite and peat moss mix).
- Place in a warm, humid environment, out of direct sunlight.
Rooting: It can take several weeks to months for cuttings to root.
Transplanting: Once rooted, transplant to a cold frame or nursery bed, and move to their final location in the following spring.
2. Air Layering:
- Timing: Best done in early spring or late summer.
Procedure:
- Select a healthy branch, about 1-2 cm thick.
- Carefully remove a 2-cm strip of bark around the branch, being careful not to damage the wood.
- Wrap the wound with damp moss and cover with a plastic bag to maintain moisture.
- Roots should develop in 3-5 months.
- Once roots form, cut the branch from the parent plant and plant it in a pot.
3. Grafting:
- Timing: Can be done in winter (bench grafting) or spring (whip grafting, chip budding).
- Procedure: Grafting is a more advanced technique, involving joining a scion (a piece of the desired plant) onto a rootstock (a plant with a strong root system).
4. Seeds:
- Harvesting: Magnolias have large, cone-like fruits (follicles) that open to reveal seeds, often red and waxy.
- Stratification: Seeds often require a period of cold stratification to germinate.
- Germination: Plant seeds in a well-draining medium and keep moist.
- Note: Growing from seed takes longer than other methods, and plants may not be true to the parent plant.
Tips for Success:
- Patience: Propagation can take time, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.
- Humidity: Maintain high humidity, especially when rooting cuttings.
- Sunlight: Provide indirect sunlight, especially during the rooting phase.
- Water: Keep the rooting medium consistently moist, but not soggy.