Growing anything under magnolias?

[lnsoaps]

I just read a quick blurb on another website that stated that you cannot grow anything under Magnolia trees. Is this true? I did have ivy growing around it like crazy but we cleared it out and now I'm trying to grow hostas, begonias and coleuses. The main issue is trying to keep it clean under there. I'm waiting for a chip drop to mulch around the tree heavily. It's smack in the middle of the yard and facing a major highway. It must be at least 70 years old.

 

[ducks4you]

How about vinca?
I should say, MY magnolia is a "Magnolia Jane," a northern hybred. They developed about 7 of them in MI, giving them all girl's names, and other names--https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/magnolia-hybrids--and I figured that since my neighbor next door had a hybred magnolia about 20 ft tall and exposed to all of the elements, I figured I could grow one, too. Mine is 12 ft from the east foundation of my house and expected to grow to about 15 ft. Hoping it will produce shade on my porch soon.
You have a true Magnolia, so...dunno? I say try a good ground cover, and, as long as you don't disturb the roots, you oughta be okay.
I bought some stuffed clams a couple of years ago, and put those underneath mine.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I had one in the front yard of our last house and nother grew well under it, but I also didn't put a lot of focus into that spot to really try hard

 

[lnsoaps]

How about vinca?
I should say, MY magnolia is a "Magnolia Jane," a northern hybred. They developed about 7 of them in MI, giving them all girl's names, and other names--https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/magnolia-hybrids--and I figured that since my neighbor next door had a hybred magnolia about 20 ft tall and exposed to all of the elements, I figured I could grow one, too. Mine is 12 ft from the east foundation of my house and expected to grow to about 15 ft. Hoping it will produce shade on my porch soon.
You have a true Magnolia, so...dunno? I say try a good ground cover, and, as long as you don't disturb the roots, you oughta be okay.
I bought some stuffed clams a couple of years ago, and put those underneath mine.

Stuffed clams? Yes mine is a true Magnolia over 70 years old and at least 30 ft tall if not more. Huge bass lots of roots at the surface of the ground. But then also lots of area around it that could be planted if the roots can reach down.

 

[flowerbug]

i've never seen such a large magnolia and also i've never seen one that tight of a canopy. they are pretty when in bloom, i don't care what it looks like underneath. the worms eat it all eventually...

nothing i can suggest at the moment probably would not want to mulch the tree too heavily all at once as the roots are used to a certain environment.

 

[lnsoaps]

i've never seen such a large magnolia and also i've never seen one that tight of a canopy. they are pretty when in bloom, i don't care what it looks like underneath. the worms eat it all eventually...

nothing i can suggest at the moment probably would not want to mulch the tree too heavily all at once as the roots are used to a certain environment.

Thank you for the tip. I just wanted to look neat with the flowers and I'm afraid all the leaves in the cones are just going to make it look really bad and smother my hostas. but we'll see. I have three beautiful kids to help out LOL

 

[ducks4you]

, @insoaps, we Ate the clams, I cleaned the shells, then placed them decoratively under the tree. I will try to get a picture up on my 2020 thread soon. Tree looks great, maybe 8yo now?, and I made a fence around it after planting with 4 metal 12 inch tall panels so that I wouldn't mow too close to it.
Now that I think of it, I may transplant some of my vinca underneath Mine.

 

[lnsoaps]

, @insoaps, we Ate the clams, I cleaned the shells, then placed them decoratively under the tree. I will try to get a picture up on my 2020 thread soon. Tree looks great, maybe 8yo now?, and I made a fence around it after planting with 4 metal 12 inch tall panels so that I wouldn't mow too close to it.
Now that I think of it, I may transplant some of my vinca underneath Mine.

I never heard of that being done with a magnolia. I bet it looks really pretty.

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks! It looks kind of "artsy", but I wanted to do it.
YOUR gardens are pretty.
Mine are always a work in progress.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

I have a magnolia with a similiar bad disposition towards sharing with other plants. I gave up last year and decided lawn will never work, amongst other reasons the complete shade produced by the dense canopy. I mulched leaves from the fall drop, laid out some reasonable areas with the mulched leaves and let them compost all winter. Now we have volunteer local seedlings, offerings from squirrels and their burying ways, and whatnot from the fall pickup. If a plant grows AND survives, it will inform me as to what family or characteristics a plant needs to survive under the magnolia shade but at this point even ferns have only grown weakly in a pre-existing bed near the canopy and it on the sunny side of the tree.