![\"Matt](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/matt-holding-wreath-sq.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Thoughts on Legacy\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\nMatt Roth, one of the cofounders of The Magnolia Company, spends a lot of time thinking about legacy. He\u2019s one of those guys who understands, at his core, that the world is a lot bigger than himself, and he\u2019s got a certain reverence for that fact of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt asks questions. A lot of questions, some of which aren\u2019t easy, and others that are downright uncomfortable, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- \u201cDo I want to do the work required to help heal humanity\u2019s wounds to the Earth?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cHow can I make the world a better place in a truly impactful way?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cWhat responsibility do I carry as a citizen of the world?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cHow do I want to help undo the damage done by industrialization and capitalism to the environment?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cAs an agribusiness owner, how much does sustainability matter to me? Am I willing to invest in its pursuit, even if it\u2019s less profitable?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cWhat do I owe the next generation?\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cWhat do I owe the planet?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u201cWhat do I want my legacy to be?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a long list of questions, but Matt\u2019s the kind of person who lives for his answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2026 Which Brings Us to Matt\u2019s Legacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve peeked at our blog page before, you know about a lot of what Matt and The Magnolia Company do to ensure our business is as ecofriendly and sustainable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Mature](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/magnolia-grove.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom water reclaiming<\/a>, to nonchemical pest control<\/a>, down to our harvesting practices<\/a>, there\u2019s an immense amount of consideration and science behind every agricultural decision we make.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMatt is usually the visionary that catalyzes these projects. Some do end up saving the company money; when they do, it\u2019s a happy side effect – not the main purpose. Others are long term investments that pay off after years. But all, and we mean all<\/u> <\/em><\/strong>of the decisions we make are from a place of environmental conservation and stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>For once, it\u2019s not all about the money.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIsn\u2019t that refreshing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Matt\u2019s Latest Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep these trees looking gorgeous and healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are tons of species in the magnolia family, and they come from all over the world. China, Japan, Korea, and much of the Asian Pacific region is responsible for some of the most beautiful cultivars. There are also remarkable species that hail from New Zealand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closer to home, many of the cultivars for Southern Magnolias come from the Carolinas. Most of the magnolias you see in the US are Southern Magnolias<\/a> – the queen bee of the magnolia family. They\u2019re iconic, gorgeous, and really hardy plants\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut some of the most popular cultivars like Little Gem or DD Blanchard struggle in Florida without an abundant amount of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Florida\u2019s Magnolias<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s not the tree\u2019s fault. The parent trees are used to moderately warm climates, four distinct seasons, and clay soil which makes water very available to these beautiful trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we plant these Carolina varieties in Florida, we\u2019re subjecting them to blistering sun, functionally two seasons (hot and hotter), hurricanes, drought – flood dichotomies, and worst of all, sandy soil-which makes water less available to these gorgeous trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maintaining a healthy Southern Magnolia in Florida requires lots of water, additional nutrients for the soil (fertilizer), mulch, and a bit of attention. Sometimes, you also need a good dose of elbow grease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Southern Magnolias are The Magnolia Company\u2019s crowning achievement.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nThough these trees are gorgeous, the average homeowner or landscaper doesn\u2019t know everything that Matt knows about the best ways to care for these magnolia, and they certainly don\u2019t have the top of the line agricultural infrastructure installed in their yards to care for the tree in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWhen I see a tree struggling, I know almost immediately what the problem is. There are inherent issues with some magnolias that don’t do great in Florida\u2019s sandy soil, and some of those magnolias are the most popular on the market,\u201d<\/p>\n– Matt<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a>The Solution: A New Kind of Magnolia<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat if you could design a tree that would thrive in these harsh conditions? A tree that naturally maintains its health and beauty with minimal resources beyond what nature provides?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s where Matt Roth puts on his Mad Scientist and Daydreamer hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the reasons why I\u2019m interested in this is in Florida, at the rate our environment is being developed and developed, there are a lot of magnolias that aren’t the best fit because our soil is just beach sand left over from when Florida was essentially the ocean floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We asked Matt what the ideal magnolia for Florida\u2019s landscape would be. Here\u2019s what he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cFor the market, it wouldn\u2019t be such a tremendously huge tree. Something that maintains itself in the 35 -45 foot range, as opposed to these 60-foot trees that can take over a homeowners yard. Obviously, we want heavy flowering characteristics for our foraging wildlife and pollinators, and the flowers also help make it marketable. Drought tolerance<\/a> is a big one. Oh, and everyone wants these colorful brown backs on the leaves, like the Carolina cultivars.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you can develop that, you can make something that lasts for Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Okay, so it\u2019s a simple four-item checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 35-foot stature<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Heavy flowering<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Drought tolerance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Brown backs on the leaves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not so bad\u2026 right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Thankfully, Matt loves a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Creating a New Magnolia Species<\/h2>\n\n\n\nOn paper, it\u2019s a simple process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 1: Cross Pollination<\/h3>\n\n\n\nMatt plants different magnolias in blocks next to each other. These blocks of groves have traits he wants to blend. Rather than go in with a swab or paintbrush, as is common practice when you\u2019re doing this kind of work, he lets nature do its thing. Matt knows that if he allows nature\u2019s pollinators to handle cross pollination, he\u2019s still got a high likelihood of getting the genetic recombination he\u2019s after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 2: Harvest the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen flowering is over, Matt harvests the seeds off those cultivars, knowing there\u2019s a high chance they were crossed because of their close proximity to each other. It\u2019s a bit of a shotgun approach, but it\u2019s working with nature instead of against it. There\u2019s something beautiful in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bright red seeds are ready to harvest in September and early October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 3: Clean the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\nEach seed gets stripped out of the pod, and all of the red fleshy fruit needs to come off. Matt has a drill specifically designed for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 4: Sorting and Storage<\/h3>\n\n\n\nClean seeds go to a workbench, where they\u2019re left to dry and Matt sorts them. He marks which ones were likely crossed by which cultivars, then he stores them in a refrigerator for 90 days to mimic winter conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 5: Germination<\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter their internment in old weather storage, Matt pulls the seeds out in the spring and gives them the right conditions for germination. When tiny little leaflets start to come up in mid June, the sprouts get a new, larger container to develop their root balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next year, they\u2019ll go into 3 gallon pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Year 2 or Year 3, Matt has a good idea of the tree\u2019s eventual characteristics. He won\u2019t know for sure until the tree is established in the ground, but he\u2019s been doing this long enough that he can make reasonably accurate predictions in the early stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Julie](\"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/julie-potted-magnolias.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Big Picture Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\nNot many people are interested in doing this kind of work because, well, it\u2019s work. And it takes a very, very long time. These kinds of genetics take multiple generations of trees. It\u2019s not an instant reward at any point in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re running a business, you\u2019re focus is on making payroll, not creating new trees. Matt gets that, so this is something he\u2019s taking on in his own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/a>\u201cI look at it as an ecology thing, as I\u2019m looking around at landscape where some native magnolias are thriving. I\u2019m excited about introducing these beneficial genetics into our trees. It\u2019ll be beneficial long after I\u2019m gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a>A Note on Money, Patents, and Hope for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe money in an endeavor like this is in the patent. So, we put it out on the table and asked, \u201cMatt, if you successfully develop this magnolia, would you patent it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we could, we\u2019d look into it. I certainly pay a lot in patent fees to a breeder in New Zealand for the Fairy Magnolia, and I have no problems paying that patent owner for the beautiful work that he did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patenting genetic work like this is a long, difficult process. As it stands, Matt has no plans to patent his work, for the simple reason of \u201cthat\u2019s not the point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money isn\u2019t the motivation for this project, but Matt knows marketing is important in the creation of a better world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>It comes down to critical mass and hope.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ll end this blog with a direct quote from the end of our interview with Matt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI know money wins, and our great state of Florida is going to be developed, but I have to stop and think \u2018okay, what could I do?\u2019 It\u2019s about hope. Hope can be contagious, and people get behind that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We need<\/em> critical mass to get things to trend toward that native ecofriendly development that everyone always talks about. It\u2019s just really important. You just have to keep going. If everyone plays their part to help heal our natural environment, Florida can stay beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI can watch the news today and be like \u2018oh my gosh, what is going on?\u2019 The world doesn\u2019t resemble anything I grew up believing in, but I can\u2019t let that get me down. Things are gonna get better. It can<\/em> get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt should be up to us to be part of that solution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Well said, Matt. Well said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep magnolia trees gorgeous and healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2357"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions\/2576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
It\u2019s a long list of questions, but Matt\u2019s the kind of person who lives for his answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2026 Which Brings Us to Matt\u2019s Legacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019ve peeked at our blog page before, you know about a lot of what Matt and The Magnolia Company do to ensure our business is as ecofriendly and sustainable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom water reclaiming<\/a>, to nonchemical pest control<\/a>, down to our harvesting practices<\/a>, there\u2019s an immense amount of consideration and science behind every agricultural decision we make.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMatt is usually the visionary that catalyzes these projects. Some do end up saving the company money; when they do, it\u2019s a happy side effect – not the main purpose. Others are long term investments that pay off after years. But all, and we mean all<\/u> <\/em><\/strong>of the decisions we make are from a place of environmental conservation and stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>For once, it\u2019s not all about the money.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIsn\u2019t that refreshing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Matt\u2019s Latest Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep these trees looking gorgeous and healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are tons of species in the magnolia family, and they come from all over the world. China, Japan, Korea, and much of the Asian Pacific region is responsible for some of the most beautiful cultivars. There are also remarkable species that hail from New Zealand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closer to home, many of the cultivars for Southern Magnolias come from the Carolinas. Most of the magnolias you see in the US are Southern Magnolias<\/a> – the queen bee of the magnolia family. They\u2019re iconic, gorgeous, and really hardy plants\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut some of the most popular cultivars like Little Gem or DD Blanchard struggle in Florida without an abundant amount of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Florida\u2019s Magnolias<\/h3>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s not the tree\u2019s fault. The parent trees are used to moderately warm climates, four distinct seasons, and clay soil which makes water very available to these beautiful trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we plant these Carolina varieties in Florida, we\u2019re subjecting them to blistering sun, functionally two seasons (hot and hotter), hurricanes, drought – flood dichotomies, and worst of all, sandy soil-which makes water less available to these gorgeous trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maintaining a healthy Southern Magnolia in Florida requires lots of water, additional nutrients for the soil (fertilizer), mulch, and a bit of attention. Sometimes, you also need a good dose of elbow grease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Southern Magnolias are The Magnolia Company\u2019s crowning achievement.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nThough these trees are gorgeous, the average homeowner or landscaper doesn\u2019t know everything that Matt knows about the best ways to care for these magnolia, and they certainly don\u2019t have the top of the line agricultural infrastructure installed in their yards to care for the tree in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cWhen I see a tree struggling, I know almost immediately what the problem is. There are inherent issues with some magnolias that don’t do great in Florida\u2019s sandy soil, and some of those magnolias are the most popular on the market,\u201d<\/p>\n– Matt<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a>The Solution: A New Kind of Magnolia<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat if you could design a tree that would thrive in these harsh conditions? A tree that naturally maintains its health and beauty with minimal resources beyond what nature provides?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s where Matt Roth puts on his Mad Scientist and Daydreamer hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the reasons why I\u2019m interested in this is in Florida, at the rate our environment is being developed and developed, there are a lot of magnolias that aren’t the best fit because our soil is just beach sand left over from when Florida was essentially the ocean floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We asked Matt what the ideal magnolia for Florida\u2019s landscape would be. Here\u2019s what he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cFor the market, it wouldn\u2019t be such a tremendously huge tree. Something that maintains itself in the 35 -45 foot range, as opposed to these 60-foot trees that can take over a homeowners yard. Obviously, we want heavy flowering characteristics for our foraging wildlife and pollinators, and the flowers also help make it marketable. Drought tolerance<\/a> is a big one. Oh, and everyone wants these colorful brown backs on the leaves, like the Carolina cultivars.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you can develop that, you can make something that lasts for Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Okay, so it\u2019s a simple four-item checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 35-foot stature<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Heavy flowering<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Drought tolerance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Brown backs on the leaves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not so bad\u2026 right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Thankfully, Matt loves a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Creating a New Magnolia Species<\/h2>\n\n\n\nOn paper, it\u2019s a simple process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 1: Cross Pollination<\/h3>\n\n\n\nMatt plants different magnolias in blocks next to each other. These blocks of groves have traits he wants to blend. Rather than go in with a swab or paintbrush, as is common practice when you\u2019re doing this kind of work, he lets nature do its thing. Matt knows that if he allows nature\u2019s pollinators to handle cross pollination, he\u2019s still got a high likelihood of getting the genetic recombination he\u2019s after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 2: Harvest the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen flowering is over, Matt harvests the seeds off those cultivars, knowing there\u2019s a high chance they were crossed because of their close proximity to each other. It\u2019s a bit of a shotgun approach, but it\u2019s working with nature instead of against it. There\u2019s something beautiful in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bright red seeds are ready to harvest in September and early October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 3: Clean the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\nEach seed gets stripped out of the pod, and all of the red fleshy fruit needs to come off. Matt has a drill specifically designed for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 4: Sorting and Storage<\/h3>\n\n\n\nClean seeds go to a workbench, where they\u2019re left to dry and Matt sorts them. He marks which ones were likely crossed by which cultivars, then he stores them in a refrigerator for 90 days to mimic winter conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 5: Germination<\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter their internment in old weather storage, Matt pulls the seeds out in the spring and gives them the right conditions for germination. When tiny little leaflets start to come up in mid June, the sprouts get a new, larger container to develop their root balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next year, they\u2019ll go into 3 gallon pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Year 2 or Year 3, Matt has a good idea of the tree\u2019s eventual characteristics. He won\u2019t know for sure until the tree is established in the ground, but he\u2019s been doing this long enough that he can make reasonably accurate predictions in the early stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Big Picture Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\nNot many people are interested in doing this kind of work because, well, it\u2019s work. And it takes a very, very long time. These kinds of genetics take multiple generations of trees. It\u2019s not an instant reward at any point in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019re running a business, you\u2019re focus is on making payroll, not creating new trees. Matt gets that, so this is something he\u2019s taking on in his own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/a>\u201cI look at it as an ecology thing, as I\u2019m looking around at landscape where some native magnolias are thriving. I\u2019m excited about introducing these beneficial genetics into our trees. It\u2019ll be beneficial long after I\u2019m gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/a>A Note on Money, Patents, and Hope for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe money in an endeavor like this is in the patent. So, we put it out on the table and asked, \u201cMatt, if you successfully develop this magnolia, would you patent it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we could, we\u2019d look into it. I certainly pay a lot in patent fees to a breeder in New Zealand for the Fairy Magnolia, and I have no problems paying that patent owner for the beautiful work that he did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patenting genetic work like this is a long, difficult process. As it stands, Matt has no plans to patent his work, for the simple reason of \u201cthat\u2019s not the point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money isn\u2019t the motivation for this project, but Matt knows marketing is important in the creation of a better world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>It comes down to critical mass and hope.<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ll end this blog with a direct quote from the end of our interview with Matt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI know money wins, and our great state of Florida is going to be developed, but I have to stop and think \u2018okay, what could I do?\u2019 It\u2019s about hope. Hope can be contagious, and people get behind that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We need<\/em> critical mass to get things to trend toward that native ecofriendly development that everyone always talks about. It\u2019s just really important. You just have to keep going. If everyone plays their part to help heal our natural environment, Florida can stay beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI can watch the news today and be like \u2018oh my gosh, what is going on?\u2019 The world doesn\u2019t resemble anything I grew up believing in, but I can\u2019t let that get me down. Things are gonna get better. It can<\/em> get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt should be up to us to be part of that solution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Well said, Matt. Well said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep magnolia trees gorgeous and healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2357"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions\/2576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFrom water reclaiming<\/a>, to nonchemical pest control<\/a>, down to our harvesting practices<\/a>, there\u2019s an immense amount of consideration and science behind every agricultural decision we make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt is usually the visionary that catalyzes these projects. Some do end up saving the company money; when they do, it\u2019s a happy side effect – not the main purpose. Others are long term investments that pay off after years. But all, and we mean all<\/u> <\/em><\/strong>of the decisions we make are from a place of environmental conservation and stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Isn\u2019t that refreshing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n After decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep these trees looking gorgeous and healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are tons of species in the magnolia family, and they come from all over the world. China, Japan, Korea, and much of the Asian Pacific region is responsible for some of the most beautiful cultivars. There are also remarkable species that hail from New Zealand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Closer to home, many of the cultivars for Southern Magnolias come from the Carolinas. Most of the magnolias you see in the US are Southern Magnolias<\/a> – the queen bee of the magnolia family. They\u2019re iconic, gorgeous, and really hardy plants\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n But some of the most popular cultivars like Little Gem or DD Blanchard struggle in Florida without an abundant amount of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not the tree\u2019s fault. The parent trees are used to moderately warm climates, four distinct seasons, and clay soil which makes water very available to these beautiful trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we plant these Carolina varieties in Florida, we\u2019re subjecting them to blistering sun, functionally two seasons (hot and hotter), hurricanes, drought – flood dichotomies, and worst of all, sandy soil-which makes water less available to these gorgeous trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintaining a healthy Southern Magnolia in Florida requires lots of water, additional nutrients for the soil (fertilizer), mulch, and a bit of attention. Sometimes, you also need a good dose of elbow grease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though these trees are gorgeous, the average homeowner or landscaper doesn\u2019t know everything that Matt knows about the best ways to care for these magnolia, and they certainly don\u2019t have the top of the line agricultural infrastructure installed in their yards to care for the tree in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I see a tree struggling, I know almost immediately what the problem is. There are inherent issues with some magnolias that don’t do great in Florida\u2019s sandy soil, and some of those magnolias are the most popular on the market,\u201d<\/p>\n– Matt<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n What if you could design a tree that would thrive in these harsh conditions? A tree that naturally maintains its health and beauty with minimal resources beyond what nature provides?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s where Matt Roth puts on his Mad Scientist and Daydreamer hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the reasons why I\u2019m interested in this is in Florida, at the rate our environment is being developed and developed, there are a lot of magnolias that aren’t the best fit because our soil is just beach sand left over from when Florida was essentially the ocean floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We asked Matt what the ideal magnolia for Florida\u2019s landscape would be. Here\u2019s what he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the market, it wouldn\u2019t be such a tremendously huge tree. Something that maintains itself in the 35 -45 foot range, as opposed to these 60-foot trees that can take over a homeowners yard. Obviously, we want heavy flowering characteristics for our foraging wildlife and pollinators, and the flowers also help make it marketable. Drought tolerance<\/a> is a big one. Oh, and everyone wants these colorful brown backs on the leaves, like the Carolina cultivars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can develop that, you can make something that lasts for Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Okay, so it\u2019s a simple four-item checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not so bad\u2026 right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, if it were easy, everyone would do it. Thankfully, Matt loves a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On paper, it\u2019s a simple process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matt plants different magnolias in blocks next to each other. These blocks of groves have traits he wants to blend. Rather than go in with a swab or paintbrush, as is common practice when you\u2019re doing this kind of work, he lets nature do its thing. Matt knows that if he allows nature\u2019s pollinators to handle cross pollination, he\u2019s still got a high likelihood of getting the genetic recombination he\u2019s after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When flowering is over, Matt harvests the seeds off those cultivars, knowing there\u2019s a high chance they were crossed because of their close proximity to each other. It\u2019s a bit of a shotgun approach, but it\u2019s working with nature instead of against it. There\u2019s something beautiful in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bright red seeds are ready to harvest in September and early October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each seed gets stripped out of the pod, and all of the red fleshy fruit needs to come off. Matt has a drill specifically designed for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clean seeds go to a workbench, where they\u2019re left to dry and Matt sorts them. He marks which ones were likely crossed by which cultivars, then he stores them in a refrigerator for 90 days to mimic winter conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After their internment in old weather storage, Matt pulls the seeds out in the spring and gives them the right conditions for germination. When tiny little leaflets start to come up in mid June, the sprouts get a new, larger container to develop their root balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next year, they\u2019ll go into 3 gallon pots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Year 2 or Year 3, Matt has a good idea of the tree\u2019s eventual characteristics. He won\u2019t know for sure until the tree is established in the ground, but he\u2019s been doing this long enough that he can make reasonably accurate predictions in the early stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not many people are interested in doing this kind of work because, well, it\u2019s work. And it takes a very, very long time. These kinds of genetics take multiple generations of trees. It\u2019s not an instant reward at any point in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re running a business, you\u2019re focus is on making payroll, not creating new trees. Matt gets that, so this is something he\u2019s taking on in his own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI look at it as an ecology thing, as I\u2019m looking around at landscape where some native magnolias are thriving. I\u2019m excited about introducing these beneficial genetics into our trees. It\u2019ll be beneficial long after I\u2019m gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The money in an endeavor like this is in the patent. So, we put it out on the table and asked, \u201cMatt, if you successfully develop this magnolia, would you patent it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we could, we\u2019d look into it. I certainly pay a lot in patent fees to a breeder in New Zealand for the Fairy Magnolia, and I have no problems paying that patent owner for the beautiful work that he did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patenting genetic work like this is a long, difficult process. As it stands, Matt has no plans to patent his work, for the simple reason of \u201cthat\u2019s not the point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Money isn\u2019t the motivation for this project, but Matt knows marketing is important in the creation of a better world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll end this blog with a direct quote from the end of our interview with Matt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know money wins, and our great state of Florida is going to be developed, but I have to stop and think \u2018okay, what could I do?\u2019 It\u2019s about hope. Hope can be contagious, and people get behind that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need<\/em> critical mass to get things to trend toward that native ecofriendly development that everyone always talks about. It\u2019s just really important. You just have to keep going. If everyone plays their part to help heal our natural environment, Florida can stay beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can watch the news today and be like \u2018oh my gosh, what is going on?\u2019 The world doesn\u2019t resemble anything I grew up believing in, but I can\u2019t let that get me down. Things are gonna get better. It can<\/em> get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It should be up to us to be part of that solution.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Well said, Matt. Well said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After decades in the professional business of growing magnolias, Matt\u2019s learned a thing or two about what it takes to keep magnolia trees gorgeous and healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2357"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2357\/revisions\/2576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>For once, it\u2019s not all about the money.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Matt\u2019s Latest Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Florida\u2019s Magnolias<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Southern Magnolias are The Magnolia Company\u2019s crowning achievement.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/a>The Solution: A New Kind of Magnolia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
<\/a>Creating a New Magnolia Species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 1: Cross Pollination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 2: Harvest the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 3: Clean the Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 4: Sorting and Storage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 5: Germination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Big Picture Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/a>A Note on Money, Patents, and Hope for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>It comes down to critical mass and hope.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n