How to Fertilize a Magnolia Tree

Overview

Magnolia trees are native to both the eastern US and southeast Asia. Fairly easy to grow and not a big attractor of pests, magnolias are ideal plants for landscaping. The trees produce large green leaves and attractive flowers. While fertilization is not absolutely essential to the growth of a magnolia tree, properly fertilizing the plant will help it thrive.

Step 1

Plant the magnolia tree into the native soil of the area and water the soil thoroughly. Cover the base of the trunk with 3 to 5 inches of mulch, but do not fertilize until the magnolia has established itself on the land.

Step 2

Use an acidic liquid fertilizer on a magnolia tree every few months for the first 3 years of growth. In the first growing season, use 1 cup of fertilizer around the planting circumference of the planting hole in March, May and July.

Step 3

Increase the amount of fertilizer to 2 cups in the second year. Start at the edges of the tree's canopy and spread the fertilizer outward to 3 feet beyond the canopy's edge in March, May and July.

Step 4

Up the amount of fertilizer to 4 cups in year three. Spread the fertilizer from the canopy's edge outward 6 feet.

Step 5

Place granular, slow-release fertilizer at the base of the magnolia tree a few times throughout the tree's growing season after the first 3 years. At this point, the magnolia tree should have established a wide root system and be able to find most of its own nourishment in the soil.