You ’ll necessitate a freehanded planter , a pocket-size variety , and a little TLC .
plant a magnolia in a container allows you to delight this tree diagram ’s beautiful flower even if you do n’t have room for it in your garden beds . Keeping these plants in containers also can be a strategy for develop magnolias in placeswhere they are n’t winter audacious . But can amagnoliagrow in a potbelly ? The solvent depends on a few factors , but yes , growing a magnolia in a container can be done successfully . You ’ll need alarge enough containerand the right variety to plant in it . Here ’s how to care for a potted magnolia .
Best Magnolia Varieties to Grow in a Pot
Keep in judgment that the smallestvarieties of magnoliasgrow 8 - 12 metrical foot tall and 6 - 8 feet wide at full matureness . The good word is that magnolia do n’t develop very fast . It can take 20 years for them to reach 20 animal foot magniloquent . Plus , continue them in a planter with special root space will also fix their top growth , particularly with some heady pruning . Most of the smaller case grow into a multi - caulescent bush rather than a single - proboscis tree , though you could prepare them into a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree shape .
‘ Little Gem ’ , a variety of southerly magnolia ( Magnolia grandiflora ) would be a dear choice for growing in a cock-a-hoop container . It slowly farm to about 15 - 20 feet improbable and produces heavy white flowers in spring into summer . It’shardy in Zones 6 - 10 , so in colder areasyou’ll unquestionably want to give it a protect dapple over the winter .
Another modest option to considerfor growing in a container is star magnolia ( Magnolia stellata ) , in the main hardy in Zones 4 - 9 . It uprise about 15 - 20 foot tall . ‘ Royal Star ’ is an owing variety with pink bud that open into white efflorescence in give . ‘ Waterlily ’ has fragrant white flowers .
Credit: Janet Mesic-Mackie
‘ Ann ’ is a variety of lily magnolia ( Magnolia liliflora ) that tops out at 8 - 10 feet tall . It ’s unfearing in Zones 4 - 7 , and produces salient , late - blooming violet - red blooms in bounce . ‘ Henry Hicks ’ sweet bay magnolia ( Magnolia virginiana ) is hardy in Zones 6 - 10 , with dull growth that will stay evergreen in Zone 7 and mellow . It can get 40 feet tall , but it takes many years . It develops lemon yellow - sweet-scented , creamy snowy flowers in late springtime to early summer .
How to Grow a Magnolia in a Pot
To help container - grow magnolias thrive , it ’s important to use apotting mixthat contains stacks of organic matter . you’re able to hike the potting mix you have byadding some compostto it before planting your magnolia .
verify tofeed the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree monthly during the grow seasonwith half - enduringness liquid fertilizer to fuel new growth and flowers . In fall , add a slow - freeing fertilizer word for woody plants .
Containers be given to dry out rapidly , which mean they often need more frequent watering than in - ground trees . Water your magnolia in a sight regularly until you see wet enfeeble out the bottom . And yes , you should always utilise a pot that has drain cakehole to prevent water from gather in the pot and rotting the origin .
Add alayer of mulchon the grease ’s surface in the mountain to help keep your potted magnolia ’s solution coolheaded . In cold - winter regions , protect the roots from severe freezing atmospheric condition by keeping the container in an unheated garage or covering the entire pot with a thickset bed of mulch until spring .
