Magnolia

[Anonymous]

We have an enormous magnolia in front of our house. It now covers about half of the house. I'm reading mixed things about pruning/cutting back. I don't want to get rid of it because it's healthy but I'm reading mixed things about pruning shaping. I got one quote and they said $3,000 to prune, 3,500 to remove. So I don't want to have it pruned, it get sick, then be in for another 3.5K to have it removed.

Options? Recommend an arborist? If it could be narrower and or shorter, I'd be happy.

[Anonymous]

Is it the type that gets clouds of pink flowers in spring? I’d get more quotes for pruning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it the type that gets clouds of pink flowers in spring? I’d get more quotes for pruning.

No, it’s the bigger kind. I think a Southern Magnoila. Huge with waxy leaves (that fall all year) and once a year sparse giant white flowers.

[Anonymous]

In general I think it’s very hard to substantially reduce the size of a mature tree without harming it. You might be able to remove some of the bottom limbs and get some space/light around the bottom. But if it’s really badly overgrown it might be better to just remove it.

You can prune to remove damage and try to save an old tree and you can prune to shape and train a young tree but I don’t think you can just make a healthy mature tree half the size.

[Anonymous]

I'm so jealous. It must be a beautiful specimen. I'd pay you at least $3,500 if I could somehow magically transplant it to my yard. I wouldn't mess with it, but I obviously don't know your landscape circumstances.

[Anonymous]

You can remove the bottom limbs of the tree (called limbing up) without hurting the tree and that would make it look narrower and give you more space. You can’t make it shorter, really (you could, but it would look awful and make the tree grow funny in the future.) I love magnolias and would probably keep it. But if you don’t like the tree there, and would rather something else, don’t feel badly about removing it. It’s a plant. You kill and eat them every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so jealous. It must be a beautiful specimen. I'd pay you at least $3,500 if I could somehow magically transplant it to my yard. I wouldn't mess with it, but I obviously don't know your landscape circumstances.

I’d double your $3,500 to have a magnolia like that!!!

Beautiful trees. Wish my house was surrounded by them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can remove the bottom limbs of the tree (called limbing up) without hurting the tree and that would make it look narrower and give you more space. You can’t make it shorter, really (you could, but it would look awful and make the tree grow funny in the future.) I love magnolias and would probably keep it. But if you don’t like the tree there, and would rather something else, don’t feel badly about removing it. It’s a plant. You kill and eat them every day.

I don't disagree that in an urban setting a tree in the wrong place may have to be removed. That's why you always factor in right tree right place if you are planting trees in landscaping (as opposed to inheriting them). However, that is nothing like eating plants grown for food. A mature tree is a completely different plant from a sapling or 10 year old tree, and you can't replace an old tree, you can only start over the 100-year project of growing one. Most immediate though, removing a mature tree has a huge impact on the local environment, the surrounding temperature and so energy use in houses, the soil consistency and soil levels, critter habitats (not just birds and squirrels but over 480 insect species can be found in Southern Magnolias), the water retention and draining in the area (this is why basements tend to be wet or down hill neighbors experience flooding after big trees are removed). Removing a mature tree is not an everyday occurrence like picking a summer tomato or swapping a rose bush for peonies.

[Anonymous]

OP here.
I definitely don't want to kill it; it's just so overgrown. If you are standing facing the house, you can't even see the front door. I think I'll get a few more quotes and see about "limbing up" as PP mentioned. An added issue is that periodically PEPCO comes and cuts out chunks that are near the electrical wires so it's also lopsided.

I don't necessarily want it shorter, but narrower and if the lower limbs could be removed, that would be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I definitely don't want to kill it; it's just so overgrown. If you are standing facing the house, you can't even see the front door. I think I'll get a few more quotes and see about "limbing up" as PP mentioned. An added issue is that periodically PEPCO comes and cuts out chunks that are near the electrical wires so it's also lopsided.

I don't necessarily want it shorter, but narrower and if the lower limbs could be removed, that would be great.

Get a pole saw. You can do most of the limb up yourself and prune the sides a bit. My advice is to get it so that you can walk under the tree comfortably and then walk in a circle (use a rope to guide you with the tree as the axis) around to prune. It will keep it symmetrical that way.

Sadly, people plant southern magnolias without considering how huge they get. They get massive. But omg, I would love to sit underneath your tree when it is in full bloom. The fragrance alone would be magnificent. And they are very disease resistant- because they are more tropical in a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.
I definitely don't want to kill it; it's just so overgrown. If you are standing facing the house, you can't even see the front door. I think I'll get a few more quotes and see about "limbing up" as PP mentioned. An added issue is that periodically PEPCO comes and cuts out chunks that are near the electrical wires so it's also lopsided.

I don't necessarily want it shorter, but narrower and if the lower limbs could be removed, that would be great.

Get a pole saw. You can do most of the limb up yourself and prune the sides a bit. My advice is to get it so that you can walk under the tree comfortably and then walk in a circle (use a rope to guide you with the tree as the axis) around to prune. It will keep it symmetrical that way.

Sadly, people plant southern magnolias without considering how huge they get. They get massive. But omg, I would love to sit underneath your tree when it is in full bloom. The fragrance alone would be magnificent. And they are very disease resistant- because they are more tropical in a way.

Also- make a garland and give away branches to neighbors if they want them.