Thanks, floral.

>"new leaves are not a guarantee that a cutting has rooted" __ That I know from experience.

>"success rates are low for Magnolia" __ That I know from having read it.

It for those reasons that I seek responses from the Magnolia-cuttings-experienced.

>"easy to untangle roots" __ Not plants whose new roots easily break.

I think you are better off giving the cutting longer to get roots (or to get better roots).

I also think that your magnolia cutting should have been with other magnolia cuttings - not different species which might root more easily than magnolia.

By popular consensus, the secret will continue. At least until mid-August is what I have in mind.

I don't think 'two small leaves recently formed' is evidence of roots.

>"better off giving the cutting longer" -_-_-_ <"mid-August is what I have in mind"

The leaves dropped shortly after I last wrote. I knew that it was the end.

Mango tip cutting, inserted into same pot at same time, also made two new leaves. Today I removed it, nice roots good enough that I planted it into yard.

I'd wait until you at least see roots coming out the bottom of the container. When that happens, immerse the entire pot or rootball in a 5-gallon bucket of water. Gently swirl the rootball in the water and the soil should fall away revealing the roots. Roots should disentangle easily.

Thanks. Having low expectation, I started it in huge pot with cuttings of various kinds of plants. Advantage of huge pot is better moisture retention in a large mass of medium. I either move those that root into individual pots, or plant them. Roots of this seemed good enough that I planted.

From what I have read, now is the right time to prune the tree to improve fruit production next year. I will have mounds of branch tips, many of them recently grown; I plan to try to root some.