A new grafted M. alba plant is here. I need to trim off the other odd branch at the joint later this year.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hey Long River, is mine the same kind?

{{gwi:799575}}

I think their leaves are too large and flowers are too skinny. Gee. I admit the fragrance is good.

Thanks for sharing your method Longriver. Can I use any type of Magnolia plant?

Kasie

Yes, you can use any kind of magnolia. However, it is hard to find or to buy a small magnolia tree at 1/2 to 1 inch size in diameter. I used to order 100 small ones of deciduous magnolia from wholesale nursery. yet I have to grow it for two more years before grafting.
There is possible another way to produce a small under stock by air-layering of your magnolia.

Thank you for the reponse Longriver. Air layering sounds fun also.

Kasie

There is another way to do approaching graft. If you have a larger magnolia understock or a large magnolia tree that can used as understock. You can use a small M. alba to be grafted together. The small branch of M. alba should be in mature woody tissure, not a soft branch.

If you are able to do so, watch out next year. The scion will take off fast due to so much energy from strong understock.

People might ask why? Because at least in northern California, it is cool in the evening, success rate of rooting, air layering or cleft garfting are very low. Also there is a partial reason that the plant scion tissue is very easy to become black dead tissue.

Snasxs, If the color is white, then they are the same kind. Yet if the color is bronze yellow, then it is M. champaca of same magnolia family. You can find inf. on web search as my picture.

Here is a link that might be useful:

My M. champaca is planted in the ground and it is a fighter. It lost all of its leaves during the freeze and I thought that was the end of it. But nope, it grew back with a vengeance.

Kasie

Dear loggriver: Will you kindly please explain how to do the approaching graft on the michelia alba, step by step and show me with the pictures. Thank you. My email address is mickeykwok@earthlink.net Thank you so much. Waiting for your email dor your advises.

It is simple.
1. You need first to find two branches of each plant to match.
2. Stablize the pots together by your judgement with cord and even steel fence post to stablize all of them to the location ground.
3. trim off the surface of the selected branches, about 25% or less. The surface must be flat, about 3 inches in length.
4. Tie the cut branches together carefully overing all three inches without breaking the branches.
5. Make the approach graft in early June. In Ca I cut them off in next March. I use a large poly bag to cover the new plant and keep the plant in a bright area without direct sun like a green house.
6. The polybag will keep the new graft in nice humidity envirnment for further recover. You first break two small, 1/2-inch, holes on the polybag and enlarge the hole slightly each month till the covered plant showing vitality. Water and lightly fertilize the plant as needed.