Wondering if someone can help. We planted about 15 beautiful Magnolia trees approx 3 years ago. All are growing beautifully except for 1 which appears to be dying. It was fine up until 3-4 months ago when the leaves started browning. I tried giving it extra water but didnt seem to help. Can anyone help? Is it dead? Can it be saved? It seems to be sprouting towards the bottom as pictured which makes me think its still alive. Appreciate the help!
Hi Fabes
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think the tree looks dead.
I think the problem is coming from the roots and it was most likely there when you bought the plant. For a plant to transplant successfully it should have a well developed root system with symmetrical branching the main roots growing downwards. In plants that have been left too long in a pot or poorly propagated at the seedling stage the roots may begin to kink or circle as the plants grows
Once planted in the soil the tree may seem weaker than the others, it will tend to grow more slowly. After several years the tree's roots can tighten around the growing base and basically strangle the plant.
I think you only option is to replace the plant. Before you plant the next tree check the root carefully and dont' plant any with circling or kinked roots. Unfortunately, you cannot take the plant out of its pot until you get home. One thing you can do is to look at pot - does it look distended and if not too large squeeze the pot to get a sense of how compacted the soil and roots are. Often the the biggest plant in a group of pots in the nursery is the one that has been there the longest and the greatest risk of overcrowded roots, so choose the healthiest and most balance plant not the biggest.