pruning magnolia trees

Hi again, I have been asked on a couple of occasions if I knew how to prune magnolia trees and had to admit I didnt! can anyone shed any light on this please. Apparently one of the trees has grown very large and has flowered twice this year (down to the strange weather we are having I presume?)
Any advice would be appreciated
regards

 

The general rule is you don't. Trouble is people plant magnolias where there isn't the room. They plant Magnolia soulangea which becomes a wide spreading tree and then it gets butchered and it will always look butchered. You could say the tree has not grown very large, it is just normal size. They planted it in the wrong place. What the answer will be I don't know cause pruning will spoil it and it will eventually grow back again.

 

Thanke Geoff. just about mirrored what I thought. Do gardens for several pensioners/widows and they all seem to have massive magnolia trees in the front or back garden, there must have been a Magnolia sale twenty years ago! nice when in flower but as you say, trees usually grow into their own shapes when left and can get a bit overpowering if the wrong tree is planted in the wrong place. Have passed on the "Dont take kindly to pruning" remarks.
cheers again

 

I can't argue with that, but surely it is possible to remove lower branches to eventually make a proper 'tree'?

 

On such a magnolia all the branches will be low and spreading. Thats the nature of it. They don't grow up, just sideways. Thats why I have either stellata or naturally upright varieties.

 

Mine is Stellata
Are you saying that it IS possible to remove lower branches of that variety to make a proper 'tree'

 

No what i mean is that that variety does not spread sideways to over 20 feet like the ones that the garden centres are happily shifting onto unsuspecting gardeners.

 

I think that is the problem! to much spread. People see the attractive plumage and think they wont grow. Still I have passed on the comments and they can take the trees lives in their hands if they want to "trim" the problem (preferably next year)
thank for all the comments

 

I have a lovely magnolia that I got about three years ago. Not very big yet, but it flowered twice this year too! We have had very strange weather here in Canada too this year!