How to grow magnolia tree from a seed

Question

How to grow magnolia tree from a seed

Answer 1

Sure you can - they grow down here in the south - so you are looking at a zone 5 to a zone 9.  Then you need to be sure you have a viable seed - sometimes they are sterile or damaged or just too dessicated.  But if you have one of the cones and the seeds are still in it and look like tiny red olives without major damage, you are ready to go.  Plant as many as you have - put several of them in a 6"-8" pot and nestle them down so they are just barely in the dirt, then cover them lightly with ground up leaves and wet the whole thing down good and put the pot in a hole in a sunny part of the garden so only about 1" or 1-1/2" of rim still sticks up.  Then except for a little watering now and then, ignore it.  You should cover it with screening so the squirrels do not eat the seeds or bury acorns in the pot.  If they do get in there and dig around - just pat it all back in place.  It will likley be next year before anything solid shows up, when it does, move it into a larger pot when it has become about 4-6" tall and keep it moist by burying the bottom of the pot and make sure it gets some water now and then if things are dry.  Once it gets to be about 14" tall, it can go into the ground and put a screen around it to protect it a little, it will grow slowly but they are great trees.  They do drop those big leaves throughout the year, so they take some cleaning up after, but they are solid and make those pretty flowers as well.

Answer 2

Can one do it in any place? What sort of climate would you have to ensure? Sorry for my answer be a question - I got curious!