Alright, folks, let’s talk about tackling my Jane magnolia. It was getting a bit wild, so I figured it was time for a trim.
First off, I waited until the right time. I learned that you should prune these guys right after they bloom and those flowers start to fade. Apparently, doing it then sets them up for some good growth later on. So, I kept an eye on those blooms and, once they were on their way out, I got ready.
I started by checking out the tree really closely. It’s kind of tall – about, I don’t know, maybe 50–90 ft? And it’s got this nice cone shape. It’s an evergreen, so it’s got leaves year-round, which are kinda thick and a bit shiny. I noticed some of the leaves were turning brown, which isn’t a good sign. From what I read, it could be because of too much shade or maybe strong winds messing with the leaves.
Next, I grabbed my tools. I used hand pruning shears for this job since the branches weren’t too thick. I made sure to have a good look at which branches needed to go. I focused on the ones that looked dead, damaged, or just plain weak. Gotta keep the tree healthy, you know?
I also remembered something about giving the tree enough sunlight and keeping it away from harsh winds. These magnolias need their sun, and the wind can really dry them out. It’s been pretty windy lately, so that might’ve been part of the problem.
Here’s how I went about the actual pruning:
- I snipped off the branches that were totally brown and looked dead. No point in keeping those around.
- For the leaves that were only partly brown, I left them be. Didn’t want to take off too much and shock the tree.
- I worked my way around the tree, making sure to step back every now and then to see how it was looking overall. Didn’t want to end up with a lopsided tree!
After I was done with the trimming, I thought about adding some mulch around the base of the tree. I heard that helps keep the soil temperature and moisture levels just right, which sounds like a good idea.
So, that’s the story of how I pruned my Jane magnolia. It was a bit of work, but I think it’ll be good for the tree in the long run. Hopefully, it’ll be happier and healthier now. Plus, it looks a whole lot neater! I’ll keep an eye on it and see how it does in the next few months.
