How to Make Magnolias Grow Faster

Choose a variety of Southern magnolia adaptable for your region and specific planting location. Magnolias grow best if the pH level of the soil is 8 or below. The soil must be well-drained and not compacted. Popular cultivars are "Bracken's Brown Beauty" and "Claudia Wannamaker." Look on the plant description for the mature size of the tree so that it does not outgrow the available space.

Plant a Southern magnolia tree growing in a container any time of the year, and plant bare-root trees in late fall or winter. Plant at the same level as it was planted in the nursery or planting container. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root section, and break up all dirt clods and remove rocks.

Cover the root section of the Southern magnolia with 3 inches of mulch. Be prepared to keep the entire root system covered with 3 inches of mulch as the plant ages, because the roots of a mature magnolia tree spread out as much as four times the width of the canopy. Mulch conserves moisture and prevents weeds.

Keep the root section of the magnolia tree moist, but not wet, by applying water to the entire root system at the equivalent rate of 1 inch or rainfall each week for the first year until established.

Fertilize a magnolia tree to increase the growth rate after the first year so that the fertilizer cannot damage the new shallow roots. According to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, after the first year has passed, apply 1 cup of garden fertilizer with a nutrient ratio of 10-10-10 around the border of the root zone in March, May and July. Do not apply directly over the roots. Spread 2 cups of fertilizer the second year from the edge of the canopy to 3 feet beyond the canopy in March, May and July. In the third year, spread 4 cups of fertilizer from the edge of the canopy to 6 feet beyond the canopy in March, May and July.