Transforming Magnolia Jane shrub into a tree. Info needed.
lovetogarden
5 years ago
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cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
5 years agodbarron
5 years agoRelated Discussions
'Jane' Magnolia in Full Sun?
Comments (8)Glad to help =) First, I don't want to imply you must keep the soil very wet all summer. Rather, just as the soil is getting crumbly and dry an inch or two down, soak it for a good while until you have saturated the surrounding soil. You do not want to water it every day. And the supplemental watering you provide is only if you don't get natural rains. Now for your first question. If you can get it to grow some good long extensive roots by deep watering the first year, it will be MORE self sufficient next year. This is not a fast growing tree and takes some time to get used to its surroundings. You will nearly always want to supplement this tree in bad droughts in full sun in your zone even as it gets older. But don't worry, you will get a handle on its water needs as the two of you get to know each other. It will not be an every week watering affair after the first or second year. You could always plant another in the back if the front tree croaks. The back sounds like a much better location in your zone for this tree to me. As far as small flowering trees that do well in your area that is a little beyond my experience. Hopefully some Texans can chime in. The ones I am familiar with are Prunus mexicana, Cercis canadensis var. texana, Lagerstroemia spp, Cornus drummondii, and Crataegus marshallii. Below is a great resource for selecting trees that would do well where you live. And remember, during the first 1-2 years, you will have to water anything you plant until you get it established. Good luck! John Here is a link that might be useful: Tx AandM...See MoreMagnolia Jane
Comments (9)My Jane took a few years to begin to flower, but she was a 1 gal. pot not 15 gal., so may have needed to grow big enough. She is now about 12-15 ft tall, and 4-6 ft wide. I think your tree's non-flowering may have been a combination of all of the above. Feed lightly with an acid-lovers fertilizer (Hollytone is good), beginning now, and then monthly until Sept. or so. Your climate is a bit warmer than mine, 'though not much, so I am extrapolating from what I get (I don't have leaves yet...). I would make sure the tree stays moist at all times, not waiting for leaves to droop. Can you plant something nearby, an annual say, that will droop quickly when it dries out, but will spring back with water (impatiens do that very well, as do coleus), and get a heads up from them rather than from the magnolia? I would keep the mulch on, 3-4 in. thick (leave the 2-3 in. around the trunk clear), and try to keep your dogs away from it - maybe plant a few annuals around the edges, or rocks, pottery, statues, etc., so they can't get in there and dig or scatter mulch? Mine WAS gearing up for a gorgeous bloom over all this week, but 2 nights of frost (28F and 26F) on Sun. and Mon. now give me sad, purple things hanging off it. I will get a few flowers as the newer, then-unopened buds open, but no full glory. I do get sporadic blooms throughout the summer, so all is not lost. I think the flower buds begin to form by about the end of Aug.-Sept., so you want to take as good care of the tree before then as you can. Good luck....See MoreHelp please - problems with Jane Magnolia
Comments (4)Quite impossible to say what's wrong based just on your description - how big a tree? how large a container? how often do you water? what exactly required the need for spraying? what happened to it over winter? All of these issues could have a bearing on what's going on now, as will photos that accurately depict the current situation. More info needed!! :-))...See MoreJane magnolia bush/tree
Comments (5)That is different than what I do up north here. Many of us find it is better to move the tree, shrub, perennial, in early Sept, before the leaves or foliage dies back. With foliage on, whatever you move, had leaves to make food until it gets cold. Leaves on is supposed to be more helpful to the roots by feeding them, and the roots will continue to grow until the ground freezes. That is usually late Nov or so. Sometimes freezes much later, near Christmas. We make sure the moved item is watered regular, but the rainy season usually starts in late Sept, so they often need no extra watering. Mulch around it, a good layer, but keep the mulch off the stems. Often a newly moved plant, bush, shrub, will lose leaves a little earlier than others like it, without that being a problem. Mine leaf out fine in spring and we go from there. I have the best luck moving things, putting in new things, in Sept thru early Oct. Plants seem to like it, do well the next year. I do feel silly sometimes out watering in Nov, if we aren't getting much rain. Spring transplants can do well, I usually just have too many other things going then. I would agree with being careful around the roots, they break easy. Get some help moving a big rootball, they get really heavy, and you are trying to be careful, turns job into hard work....See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEmbothrium
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agoEmbothrium
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEmbothrium
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEmbothrium
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agolovetogarden
5 years agoenchantedrose
3 years ago
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corkball (z9 FL)