The cleanup of the Bigleaf magnolia lost in a recent storm has begun. Barbara suggested that I hire out the tree removal, but I’m certain she knew I would refuse and excuse that I could use the savings to purchase new trees for the area. Of course, she expressed concern for my health since I must seem oblivious to common sense and safety standards.
The magnolia’s large leaves create a huge mass at the outer edge of the garden where I’ve tossed them to clear the garden’s border, so I’ll wait until the leaves brown and drop before clearing the remaining debris. Fortunately, the brush must be tossed only a short distance, and as I pruned broken branches from the sweetshrubs that were crushed, I noticed a seedling magnolia (below) growing just beyond the garden.
Once the largest part of the debris is cleared, I’ll have to figure how to remove the huge stump and mass of roots. Possibly, I’ll leave it as an ornamental stumpery. At the edge of the garden, I can take my time and eventually, I’ll figure it out.
I’m certain I’ll move the magnolia seedling into the garden, but it’s so small that I’ll plant it closer to the border. Looking to the future, I think that I’ll prune the bigleaf magnolia to become a multi-branched tree rather than a towering tree with a single trunk that rises fifty feet. No doubt, this is quite optimistic since I won’t be around to see the seedling mature, but it’ll be a good story to tell.
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 
Was the original seed grown or a cultivar. It has been so long since we grew this species that I can not remember if they were grafted, or perhaps grown from cuttings. (We grew them in cans from bare root stock.)
Bigleaf magnolia is native to the Southeast, so I’m quite certain this was a seedling. The Tennessee grower probably didn’t grow anything that was grafted back in those days.
In my younger days, I’d be anxious to tackle this tree problem. My first step would be to hose down all those tree roots to leave the bare roots exposed. Then I’d take some pruning tools and an electric chain saw to get rid of the rest. I’d look at it as an interesting and fun project!
I’m not in my younger days, but now I’m determined to clean up this mess, then get to planting to make it better. I can clean up the stump but I’m not certain I’ll be able to move it, so it might stay.