- Look over the tree for new growth in July. You want to find this year's growth that will be green wood and more susceptible to rooting. Find a shoot that has at least three nodes and cut it off. Do not remove any leaves and keep the end moist until you are ready to work with it. Gather around 6 cuttings to make sure at least one of them will root.
- Place your cuttings in the sink and cover them with water to make sure they are kept moist while you prepare them for rooting. Cut a 1 1/2-inch vertical slit into the base of each of the cuttings and then return them to the water. Dip each cutting into rooting hormone as high as the vertical cut and then stick them into a container holding half sand and half peat moss. It helps if you prepare the holes first with a pencil. Moisten the soil and place the container with cuttings in a plastic bag.
- Plant the rooted cuttings the following spring after they have had a chance to establish a root system. Prepare a hole bigger than your plant pot and add some humus and peat moss to make a good bed for the magnolia. Set the plant in the hole and tamp the soil down gently around the plant. Keep it moist for the first year and weed free. Your tree should grow several inches and continue to grow a healthy root ball.
