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Magnolia Tree
richard2510
Posts: 5
in Plants
About 3 weeks ago we planted a Magnolia Pink Beauty. This last few days it had started to look really sad. Worryingly it's thrown out a flower bud.
I've planted it in the lawn. I excavated a circle, dug in plenty of compost and watered it in well. We are on a very heavy clay at the bottom of a slop.
I'm wondering if the ground is too wet. We had a massive downpour the other day and the planting hole filled with water.
I really don't want to loose this tree as we bought it for our wedding anniversary.
All help gratefully recieved
Richard
0
Posts
Hi Richard. It sounds very much to me as if you have inadvertently created a sump as you are on heavy clay and your magnolia is suffering as a result. As it hasn't been in too long I would risk taking it out of the hole and attempt to open up the clay 'pan' by digging deeper into the hole, adding lots of grit and plunging the tines of a garden fork into the bottom of the holeto assist drainage and then replant the tree. Keep an eye open for signs of it filling up again or create a raised bed - just for the magnolia - which lifts the tree higher in the garden. Good luck.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I've dugthe tree back out, excavated the hole another 2ft and dug in lots of gravel. There are fresh buds, so I'm hopeful it'l recover.
Cheers, Richard
As far as I know most Mongolias prefer acid soil as well.