Magnolias although they are drought tolerant they prefer moist, well-drained, acidic, rich and fertile soils. Magnolias will grow slow and poorly in a high spot that has poor compacted soil. You could move them to a lower spot with more soil moisture or give them a good 3 to 4 inch layer of mulch thatÂs about 5 or 6 feet wide circle (or to the branch tips or drip line) with the grass dug up or covered if you have not already. The grass can also moisture stress the trees in the summer, and make sure you give them plenty of water during the year.

It might help if you added some natural fertilizer - you could work some chicken manure into the soil, then put a thick layer of a mulch that'll decompose quickly, like thin leaves, over the roots of the trees and add more mulch as it disappears.
Are the bigger trees in part shade and the smaller ones in full sun? I've noticed that southern magnolias grow more quickly and look healthier overall in part sun/part shade or about a half day's sun - this may not be true up north where they might need all the sun they can get.
I don't plant anything in rows any more, because all my plants would never grow equally fast, even though I planted them in the same soil and treated them the same.
A question for knowledgeable tree people out there - where did Bracken's Brown Beauty come from? Did somebody 'create' it by breeding magnolias with a lot of indumentum to each other, or was it just found growing somewhere in the woods, and the trees you buy of BBB come from cuttings off this original, mother tree? The magnolias on my property are all natural - I've never bought or planted one. They have a little fuzzy brown stuff on the undersides of the new growth, which is a beautiful shiny brown color on the topside, but as they mature, the whole leaf turns green, with the top being shiny green and the undersides matte. I have assumed this is typical - do they naturally have more indumentum in other areas?
Sherry

Bracken's Brown Beauty is one of those wonderful 'discoveries'. This one by a great plantsman, Ray Bracken. He observed the mother plant on his original nursery about 40 or so year ago. It was a chance seedling within rows of other seedling magnolias, but this one stood out. He said that he knew the minute he saw it that it was going to be a special plant. And, boy, was he was right!

Mind you, this was still a baby! He had no way of knowing how spectacular that tree would be when mature, nor how cold hardy. All he knew at the time was that it was setting flower buds at about 2 years of age (!!!), that the leaves were distinctly smaller and seemed to be developing quite a dark, heavy pubescence.

He turned to Clemson for some help in propagating the plant from cuttings (magnolias can be tricky)and the rest is history. A few years later, he was able to apply for his patent on what is called the most beautiful of all the Southern Magnolias.

Your knowledge knows no bounds, Rhizo!
I'm sure BBB is beautiful - I love the way my mag grand new growth looks - I imagine BBB looks sort of like that.
Sherry

Yep, the Brackens are a great family. I don't know what the status is with the new Bracken nurseries, but I think they eventually sold out to other owners. I met the elder Ray Bracken at several conferences and trade shows quite some time ago. His family treated him like royalty (as did everyone who met him!).

I have erected a 2-1/2 foot high, 6' diameter dry stacked wall with found field stone. A vertical layer of 1/2" gravel and landscape fabric back the stone and there is fresh pulverized topsoil as the fill. This wall is on the bare NE corner of our home. Morning and late afternoon sun.
I need vertical coverage of the house corner and am considering a Bracken Brown Beauty magnolia. What are my chances for success?
Thanks

How far away from the house is the planting site? BBBs can get reasonably wide (to 15 feet), and, like most magnolias, look best, and less messy, if you can leave the branches all the way to the ground, mulching under them. This hides the messy fallen litter, and saves you having to pick it up.

Magnolias in general have widely spreading, fleshy and brittle roots. They are close to the surface, and don't appreciate being disturbed, so, low branches aside, you can't really plant anything under them. I don't know if this helps or not.

Magnolia grands are salt tolerant and tend to survive tropical storms and hurricanes better than most trees.

Is this also true with BBBs?

Pam ... are you sure about the salt tolerance of grandifloras? After Katrina, with five feet of flooding, I lost a dozen small potted magnolias... every one... while scores of my other potted plants survived.

While my established magnolias survived (aside from the one blown over)I saw scores of adult magnolias dead (presumably from salt) in New Orleans.

The dead magnolias were on a tree lined route to the New Orleans zoo.

I'm no expert, just offering some anecdotal evidence.

I've recently planted a DD Blanchard on my new property and will look for a BBB next year.

I thought new orleans was flooded by the freshwater lake lake pontchartrain not the ocean?

vancleaveterry:

We are hit by hurricanes and tropical storms every 2-3 years so I collect lists of plants that will tolerate high winds and a salt water bath. Magnolia grandiflora is on several lists of trees that will tolerate these conditions (up to a point).

Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Soils and Salt Spray Drift from Va Tech:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/trees/430-031/430-031.html

This list prepared by VA Tech for a neighboring county also includes Magnolia grandifolia:

http://www.yorkcounty.gov/vce/progareas/hort/pubs/Salt%20Tolerant%20Plants%20w%20ltrhead.pdf

When you have a strong hurricane like Katrina with winds of 100+ mph for hours and flooding for days, all bets are off.

The negative impact of a hurricane continue for years. Many trees that appeared to survive will die over the next several years. They will lean, lose their leaves, and fall.

It's a depressing sight and a constant reminder.

I've read many of your posts so I know you are excited about planting your new property. I understand.

In 2003, we were hit by Hurricane Isabel with winds of 100-110 mph. The wind pushed water up into the Bay and tributaries, causing massive flooding. Millions of trees fell. It took three years to get our property cleaned up after Isabel. I am beginning to replant too.

Like misssherry, I am planting more diverse selections. I'm also working to build the dunes higher. Can't hurt, may help.

Take care,
Pam

BTW: In my experience, dayllies are survivors, so are some hostas.

Terry:

We were in New Orleans in March. Once you leave the tourist section, it is a very dismal place. FETA and Corp of Engineers contractors all over the place, you wonder why so little is getting done, even basic clean up.

Moving on ...

During a tropical storm or hurricane, hours of wind and high water scour out the soil around tree roots. Depending on the tree and the amount of damage, the tree may look fine for a while, even for a couple of years.

Pam

Pam, thanks for your links. Sherry, Quirky, Bamatreehugger and others have been alot of help. It IS fun planning my little arboretum!

I wonder what killed all those magnolias in New Orleans?

JQPublic...

I don't know if lake pontchartrain is fresh or brackish. I imagine the huge surge from the gulf pushed by Katrina got saltwater everywhere.

Thanks, Terry