By Amsterdam
Shropshire,
United Kingdom 
When can I prune a Magnolia Stellata? I have got a small magnolia in my garden and this would be the second spring I have had it. I would like to take lower branches off to shape it and is there any particular way of pruning? More importantly when is the best time to do it? Many thanks.
11 Jan, 2015
Answers
RHS advice is midsummer when it is in full leaf. If it is only small I wouldn't prune at all. Ours has been in the ground for around 10 years and is only a metre in height and in many ways looks like a shrub.
11 Jan, 2015
I wanted to prune some small branches at the bottom of the trunk to stop it from getting tangled in with plants growing around it. I will probably leave it , thanks urbanite and moon grower for your advice.:)
11 Jan, 2015
If there are other plants it is going to get tangled with then you either need to move those or the magnolia it needs some open space around it.
11 Jan, 2015
It shouldn't need pruning ever.
The exception is that on older plants (much older than 2 years) you may want to relieve congestion by cutting out inward growing or crossing branches and dead/unproductive branches.
If you cut out branches now you are are limiting the future structure.
11 Jan, 2015