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"Training" a magnolia tree's branch.

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I have a magnolia tree that lost its top third during a freezing ice storm several years ago. Since then a lower branch has grown horizontally to gather sunlight. I am wondering if it is possible to gently pull "Train"the branch more vertically so it would look more aligned with the rest of the tree. The tree gets more sunlight due to trees being cleared out on the adjoining property, so the branch would get adequate sunlight.

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Comments (4)

dchall_san_antonio
5 years ago
Well this is the lawn forum and not the southern trees forum. But what happened is you lost the "central leader" of the tree. When that happens one or more of the limbs tries to become the new leader. The leader in a magnolia is a fairly sturdy limb, but you might be able to nudge it more upright. It will never be the same, though.
Mel Laughton
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks so much for submitting your thoughts. The issue is the branch is incongruent to the shape of the other tree branches and looks as if it should be removed. My thoughts are to train it to follow the lines of the other branches. Thanks again.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
In addition to be the wrong forum for this question, the photo is far too small to see anything clearly. Try reposting on the Trees forum and with a better and larger photo of the entire tree as well as one that focuses on the branch in question. Also where you are located geographically as that can often have a bearing.....magnolias are not just "southern trees".....they are grown across most of the country.
User
5 years ago
That's...very horizontal. :-) Yes, you might train that, but it's a well-developed limb at this point. Bending and convincing wood to move how you want it is most easily done in the whip stage when it's easy to train. This is likely to become damaged or break if you try to move it.

I'd wait until spring, observe where the nearest vertical sprout is off that horizontal limb, and cut it off at that point. That horizontal sprout should become the new leader. The tree will have an interesting leftward jog in the leader in a year or so, but that's not a major problem.

With a magnolia that small, the other option is to replace it. Trees whose leaders have broken are never really the same again. That's not going to be a huge issue in a smaller magnolia like I have--the Rutgers Jane--but will be a problem on larger magnolia trees.

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