Cutting back this nursery Japanese Magnolia

[mmp77]

Came across this Japanese magnolia with an incredible 3 inch or so trunk. There is no foliage on it when I saw it.

How low can I cut this down without harming it? Based on the attached pic, I was thinking of bringing it down to almost a stump by removing all the branches.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If it is not too late, I would leave it at the nursery. This is a grafted tree. You have a zone of reverse taper at the graft union scar just barely above the soil line. It will always be flawed as a bonsai. If the reverse taper doesn't bother you, well then go ahead. There is no correcting the issue at this point. Otherwise plant it in your landscape.

As bonsai magnolia always end up as a display while in bloom, hide in the back of the collection while in leaf. The leaves will never reduce to a believable proportions.

 

[rockm]

The trunk is actually a mess, can't really tell what's going on there--there IS a lot of scar tissue, don't know if it's a graft (if it is, it's a REALLY bad one). I would also skip this tree, but if you have already purchased it. remove all the branching. leave the rest for now.

 

[mmp77]

Thank you both. I did not purchase it, just took the pic to think about.

 

[bwaynef]

As bonsai magnolia always end up as a display while in bloom, hide in the back of the collection while in leaf. The leaves will never reduce to a believable proportions.

This one looks pretty good out of leaf though.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

True, I should have said "Magnolia only look good while leafless and or in bloom before leaves start."

Magnolia stellata and hybrids where stellata dominates have somewhat smaller leaves, and do bloom before new leaves in spring. The evergreen Magnolia species will not work at all. I have seen a dwarf cultivar, Magnolia virginiana 'Dodd's Dwarf' that if you can find it has leaves only about 1 inch long. I have never seen 'Dodd's Dwarf' bloom, so I don't know if it is worth messing around with, but if you run into a dwarf with small leaves it might be worth checking out.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

They are also like azaleas, in that if you remove a large branch all at once, you have the chance of the trunk below dying all the way to the ends of the roots. I learned that the hard way: http://www.heartofdixiebonsai.com/tree-progressions/magnolias/magnolia-stellate .

So, if you do get one, leave a stub for half a season or so before you completely remove the branch. Don't just willy-nilly "remove all the branches".