Some of you might remember my failed experiment earlier this summer at drying magnolia blossoms. I might try it again next year, if I can get the proper desiccant (silica gel) in an appropriate amount at a reasonable price.

In the meantime, it is now Autumn and the magnolia blossoms have withered, leaving the pods filled with seeds for the birds and squirrels to eat.  The pods are pretty cool – big as pine cones and shaped like them, too.  I gathered a few fallen pods a few years ago and tried to make art out of them, but that idea failed as miserably as drying the blossoms had. I’m thinking of trying to preserve some pods again this year, this time using my handy dandy dehydrator or the oven to dry them out before painting.

But, my latest idea involves germinating magnolia trees from seed.

I picked a few pods on the ground near my tree and removed the seeds the squirrels and birds did not eat. Then, I researched the internet to find proper germination instructions.

The internet said to scrape the red covering off of each seed, “scarify” them and then chill for a few months.

In the spring, I can plant the seeds about an inch deep directly in the soil or in pots and wait for a few weeks for them to germinate. After that, it only takes about 15 additional years to get some blossoms!

Will this be another failed magnolia attempt or might I finally find magnolia success?

My magnolia pods are about the same size and shape as medium-sized pine cones. After the seeds are removed, the pods can be dried and then used for crafty centerpiece projects and other cool outdoorsy decorations. The red covering on the seeds is easily scraped off with a fingernail.

After the outer covering was removed, I washed them in plain water.

Then, I “scarified” them. Scarifying is the process of roughing up the seeds with sand paper or steel wool. I used a piece of sandpaper.

Then, I labeled them and stuck them in the workshop refrigerator for the winter.

I hope come Spring there is a part two to this story!