Training Magnolia Rubra Sapling

[suntower]

Hi,
A couple of years ago I tried finding a Magnolia like LOTS of my neighbours all have here in Seattle and they were unavailable in any nurseries. (I was told they were too 'old-fashioned'). So I tried my hand at taking a cutting from my neighbour's (which is 30ft tall) and ET VIOLA It worked! I -think- it's a 'Rustica Rubra'.

So now, the thing is about 4 feet tall. So far I got it to be kind of a 'tree shape' with 3 arms'. Over the winter, it split at the base, but I taped it and it seemed to heal.

But... while I wasn't paying attention over the summer it developed a 4th arm that is growing right from the -base-. -And- the thing is getting wider than it is tall. Here's a piccie of the base with the 4th arm at the right.

SO HERE'S THE QUESTION:
Do I cut off the 4th arm? And... moving forward, how 'ruthless' do I have to be to keep it tree-like?

I do NOT want it to be a bush at all... and that's what seems to happen to all my neighbours over time.

TIA.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Cut off the lower sucker. Pick the strongest and straightest of the 3 arms. This will by your trunk. Now reduce the height of the other two arms, so the more growth with be focused on the dominant stem.

 

[suntower]

Is this an OK time of the year to do this? (Pacific NW) I mean is it better to wait until winter?

Thanks.

 

[BC WetCoast]

You could do it now, but it would be better to wait until winter.

 

[suntower]

OK. So here's a totally noob question. If you look at the piccie...

There's a sort of a 'base' before the 3 arms branch out. If I just cut this 'sucker' off and left it to grow, will

a) that base continue to grow up OR

b) will the 3 arms grow out from where they are now, making it more bush-like?

IOW: Are you saying I also have to cut off 2 of the other arms and choose -1- arm to be the 'base'? And then cut off then keep cutting -any- other suckers that develop off of it until it reaches a certain height?

Just wondering how this thing grows.

Thanks again.

 

[BC WetCoast]

The crotch (the place where the arms splits) will not rise, it would remain in the same place. If you want this to become a tree, then what you would do is pick the arm you want to become the trunk in the future. Then reduce the height of the others by about 1/2. When the arm which is to become the trunk gets larger in relation to the others (technically it should be twice the diameter) then cut off the lower arms at the 'trunk'.

As the tree grows, continue to remove the lower branches off the trunk until you reach the height for the lowest branch you want. This may take several years.

Also make sure you have a single leader, if other branches try to become dominant, reduce their height (subordinate) to establish one leader to become dominant.

 

[suntower]

Thanks. All makes sense now.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Arm,,,,,lol,,
Jeff

 

[suntower]

Just a quick update. #6 actually worked. It's still winter of course, but it's clear that the thing survived my removing the other 'arms' and is already looking more 'treeish'. Thanks again.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Cool

 

[jefflovstrom]

Arm,,LOL,,,,
Jeff

 

[Zale]

You know what he means.

 

[suntower]

What's the proper term? A 'lateral'?

 

[jefflovstrom]

Sure, or stem.
Jeff