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Why's my magnolia looking sad pls?

msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
in Problem solving
Hi all, we've been growing this magnolia from bare root for a bit more than a year, in a big pot, as we haven't decided its final location yet. This spring it has put up a lot of new growth though didn't flower. However, recently it's looking a bit sad, with leaves browning and drooping. Could someone tell the reason please? It's been raining on and off here in London, and the soil in the pot feels moist. There's no obvious insect that I can see either. Thanks!


Posts

  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    The soil in the pot looks quite dry and the leaves look as though they are short of water so my guess is that you need to water it more often and if I were you I'd get it into the ground as soon as possible to give it a better chance of surviving. 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Uff said:
    The soil in the pot looks quite dry and the leaves look as though they are short of water so my guess is that you need to water it more often and if I were you I'd get it into the ground as soon as possible to give it a better chance of surviving. 
    Thanks. I pushed my finger an inch into the soil and it feels moist. There's heavy rain predicted here tonight so will see if it perks up after that. 

    Still waiting to get our garden outbuilding done before we can do any meaningful planting in the garden....
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It'll be along time before it flowers. Even a healthy young plant would take a long time.
    What are you growing it in, and have you refreshed it this year? It won't be happy if it's only in compost. That just disappears - it needs decent soil.
    Some are happy in more acidic soil and some don't like that, so it will also depend on what variety it is   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    Fairygirl said:
    It'll be along time before it flowers. Even a healthy young plant would take a long time.
    What are you growing it in, and have you refreshed it this year? It won't be happy if it's only in compost. That just disappears - it needs decent soil.
    Some are happy in more acidic soil and some don't like that, so it will also depend on what variety it is   :)
    Thanks :) It's a mix of compost and garden soil in there, but no I haven't renewed it this year as the pot is quite big and heavy... I've fed it with some liquid fertiliser a few weeks ago. Probably worth feeding it again?

    The variety is Magnolia 'Soulangtana'.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    There's no point feeding a plant if it's struggling.  :)
    They prefer a more acidic soil - or at least neutral, so if your soil's alkaline, that will affect it. 
    I'd keep it somewhere a little shady - hot sun won't do it any good at this stage.
    It's not really a great specimen, but all you can do is keep it watered, and hope it improves. I think it would have been better to buy a good potted specimen than bare root.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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