How to Grow Magnolia Trees From Seed

If you want to add an impressive tree to your landscape decor, magnolia trees are an excellent choice. The easy-to-grow trees are formidable in size, and most of the more than 80 species feature bold, showy flowers and large leaves. Additionally, many magnolia trees remain green year-round. Although you can purchase seedlings and young trees to plant on your lawn, you can also grow the trees from seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Magnolia seeds
• 4 inch deep pots
• Sowing media
• Plastic wrap or glass
• Scissors
• 8-12 inch deep pots
• Loam
• Garden trowel

Instructions

1. Fill 4-inch pots with a sterile, well-draining sowing media. Appropriate materials include peat moss, vermiculite, and sand and peat mixtures.

2. Place two to three magnolia seeds in each pot, and cover them with a thin layer of sowing media.

3. Water lightly, and cover the pots with plastic wrap or glass to keep in moisture and humidity. Your newly planted seeds may take anywhere between a few weeks and a few months to germinate and begin to grow leaves.

4. Place germinated seedlings in a sunny spot, and remove the plastic or glass covers to allow the first true leaves to develop. At this point, magnolia seedlings should measure at least 2 inches tall and feature several larger leaves.

5. Remove weaker seedlings from pots containing more than one plant. Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut down all but the strongest seedling in each pot.

6. Transplant the seedlings to 8-12 inch deep containers filled with loam, an ideal gardening soil mix of sand, silt and clay. Make a hole that's about two times larger than the seedling's root structure, place the seedling into it, and lightly fill in with loam.

7. Plant magnolia seedlings in the ground at the location you want them to grow when they've reached 8-12 inches in height. Your magnolia seedling needs direct sunlight in order to grow to its full potential.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you plant magnolia seeds, you must prepare them for germination. You must remove the red outer seed coat and the pulp surrounding the seed. Refrigerate a mixture of cleaned seeds and damp sand in a polyethylene bag for at least two months prior to sowing.

References

• Magnolia Society
• Magnolia Questions and Answers