SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
wacogardener

Southern Magnolia in distress!

wacogardener
12 years ago

Hello all,

I planted a 9' Southern Magnolia that has a trunk diameter of about an inch in late June. Unfortunately for me, this has been one of the harshest Texas summers on record, and here in waco we just had our 43rd consecutive day over 100 degrees.

After planting, I built a berm around the tree, leaving the top of the rootball where the trunk flares out a bit exposed. I also staked the tree using an in-ground staking system that provides a material (similar to weed-cloth) to be wrapped around the trunk.

First, the problem:

In the past week, I've noticed the tree seems to be in shock, the leaves are more of a yellowish color than green (they've been a light green and been gradually, slowly getting darker in color). The browning of the leaves seems to have accelerated for the ones that are about to fall off, and has started working from the tips in on a cluster of healthy leaves (usually I can identify the leaves that are going to fall about a week before they do). I've also noticed some small black spots on the underside of a few of the leaves.

Now, the questions:

1. I water by filling the berm and then allowing that to soak in about 3-4 times per week. We have clay soil, and at the time of planting, I also mixed in some compost and top-soil. Could I be overwatering?

2. The material wrapped around the trunk has deteriorated quickly and fell apart, so I unstaked the tree a couple of days ago until I can get a better material. The rootball looks like it might be trying to "crack" up through the berm (the tree has more branches on one side and does lean that way) - should I dig around the rootball and pack in the dirt more tightly?

3. Does anyone know what these black spots are, and a good, organic way of stopping them from spreading?

Any other suggestions you may have on how to nurse my tree back to health would be greatly appreciated!

Comments (4)