Japanese Tulip

Cajunrider

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I have a 4ft tall Japanese tulip (Magnolia soulangeana) in a pot. I really have no good place for it to be a yard tree. I don't yet have trees large enough in the yard to provide protection for it from the sun. Last year I placed the pot on the East side of the house where it got some protection from the hot afternoon sun and it nearly died still from too much sun. Right now it is growing well with the pot at the edge my front door stairway where it gets about 4-5 hrs of morning sun a day. I really don't want anything that big there. Can I turn it into a bonsai? I know the leaves are hard to reduce and it will only looks good when flowering or budding. The thing also does not have a main trunk. It is more like a clump with 7 branches from a 2.5" base.

If I were to turn it into a bonsai, when is the best time? It has just finished flowering and all the leaves are young and lush green.
 

shinmai

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Brian Van Fleet

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Brian, thanks a million for posting that link! First, I was not aware of Julian's work, and second, just this morning I was pondering where to go next with a magnolia stellata. I gained a tremendous amount of insight from the article, and the timing could not have been better.
Yes. He is @bleumeon here, but don’t think he’s been posting as much since he went to Japan.
 

shinmai

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I have a 4ft tall Japanese tulip (Magnolia soulangeana) in a pot. I really have no good place for it to be a yard tree. I don't yet have trees large enough in the yard to provide protection for it from the sun. Last year I placed the pot on the East side of the house where it got some protection from the hot afternoon sun and it nearly died still from too much sun. Right now it is growing well with the pot at the edge my front door stairway where it gets about 4-5 hrs of morning sun a day. I really don't want anything that big there. Can I turn it into a bonsai? I know the leaves are hard to reduce and it will only looks good when flowering or budding. The thing also does not have a main trunk. It is more like a clump with 7 branches from a 2.5" base.

If I were to turn it into a bonsai, when is the best time? It has just finished flowering and all the leaves are young and lush green.
If you can find it, Bonsai Today #50 has an article on magnolias, specifically stellata and liliflora. I would think most of the guidance therein would apply to your soulangeana as well.
You’re a ways ahead of me—no surprise, given our respective geographies. The buds on mine are just beginning to swell.
 

justBonsai

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Glad the article was helpful. I'm learning how to develop them myself and as I figure out some of their nuances I'm happy to share information.
 

coh

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International Bonsai also had an issue with several articles on magnolia, date was 2007/1. I don't know if it is still in print. Quite a few interesting/inspirational photos to check out.
 
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