Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Hello fellow Garden Ninjas and Lee (wooo wooo - we are a fan!)
Our Magnolia Grandiflora standard trees, approximately 4-5 meters high, were planted into the ground two years ago during Spring. We expected them to sprout new leaves along the naked branches and stems by now. Unfortunately, this has not happened despite feeding and watering them. We also have pleached ones, but we removed the pleaching to allow them to grow naturally. These trees appear very healthy with many leaves and new branch growths. We are wondering why this isn't happening to the unpleached ones. All were planted in the same soil and area, except for the one at the front of the driveway. Please see the attached images.
Your help is highly appreciated.
Thank You,
TJ
Hello fellow Garden Ninjas and Lee (wooo wooo - we are a fan!)
Our Magnolia Grandiflora standard trees, approximately 4-5 meters high, were planted into the ground two years ago during Spring. We expected them to sprout new leaves along the naked branches and stems by now. Unfortunately, this has not happened despite feeding and watering them. We also have pleached ones, but we removed the pleaching to allow them to grow naturally. These trees appear very healthy with many leaves and new branch growths. We are wondering why this isn't happening to the unpleached ones. All were planted in the same soil and area, except for the one at the front of the driveway. Please see the attached images.
The quick answer is that the Magnolia standard has been pruned back to only allow growth from the very tips of the branches. As the hormones are all concentrated at the tips, the changes of growth lower down are very slim as the plant has no need to send out growth there. I.e., they will have been stripped as it grows, hence a 'standard' shape.
This is because those side shoots have been cut out to open up the shape as a form of formative pruning. Whereas pleached trees have a naked trunk but then a very active branch network contained onto either a square or rectangular support.
https://youtu.be/EAGVhYFABRA
The only way to force the standard to grow shoots lower down (which I wouldn't;t advise as they are not the quickest to grow or sprout new side shoots) is to make cuts at the nodes in the lenticels (bands on each side shoot) but this is more a pro gardening skills and not something just to have a bash at.
If I were you, I'd just enjoy the tree as it is. I think it's a lovely open shape and will be beautiful!
The quick answer is that the Magnolia standard has been pruned back to only allow growth from the very tips of the branches. As the hormones are all concentrated at the tips, the changes of growth lower down are very slim as the plant has no need to send out growth there. I.e., they will have been stripped as it grows, hence a 'standard' shape.
This is because those side shoots have been cut out to open up the shape as a form of formative pruning. Whereas pleached trees have a naked trunk but then a very active branch network contained onto either a square or rectangular support.
The only way to force the standard to grow shoots lower down (which I wouldn't;t advise as they are not the quickest to grow or sprout new side shoots) is to make cuts at the nodes in the lenticels (bands on each side shoot) but this is more a pro gardening skills and not something just to have a bash at.
If I were you, I'd just enjoy the tree as it is. I think it's a lovely open shape and will be beautiful!
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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