Dear Rex,

Thank you for contacting Ask Extension about your magnolia. Can you tell me a little more about the new growth that you say is dying? Are the shoots all over the tree or only at the terminal ends of the branches? Are new leaves forming now or are you referring to the growth last season? Was this tree healthy and robust prior to the ice storm last year?

Please reply directly to this email and I will be happy to try to advise you.

On 03/29/2022 1:22 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

On 03/29/2022 5:39 PM REX KAPPLER <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

Hi Lynne!

This is Susan, Rex's wife. Rex will have to answer the questions about the new growth that is dying. I have a picture of the tree taken in May 2021, following the February 2021 Ice Storm. Prior to the storm the tree was exceptionally healthy, and although it had lost several limbs during the ice storm, it was still healthy.  I have attached a May 2021 picture of the tree after the Feb ice storm, showing it full of leaves - and it did have flowers that year. 

I will send another pic of the tree taken July 1 - when it began suffering from heat damage.

We did speak to a local nursery about the tree, and was advised to just fertilize and water, and wait and see if the tree recovers. It doesn't seem to be recovering, and we really don't want to lose it!

We absolutely love this tree - Thank you for helping us with this!

Susan

On 03/29/2022 1:22 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

Dear Susan,

Your tree looks to be severely stressed, most likely due to the two extreme weather events last year. However, I don't really have enough information at this point. If you can answer my previous questions about the buds, I may be able to advise you further. This article may help you assess the condition of the tree: 
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-examine-deciduous-tree-leaf-out-problems

The tree may need some judicious pruning, but that would require an assessment by a certified arborist. For now, I suggest that you do the following.

• In spring or fall, apply up to an inch of compost across the entire root zone of the tree. Keep it a few inches away from the trunk.
• Add mulch to a depth of 4 inches. Arborists' woodchips are better than bark mulch. (Bark contains resins that actually repel water, and provides little in the way of nutrients.)
• Be careful about fertilizing. Fertilizer forces growth on an already-stressed tree. Use a slow-release balanced fertilizer (like 10-10-10) and apply the minimal amount as directed on the label.
• Make sure the tree is fully hydrated at all times of the year. The tree needs:
• 2-gallons per inch of trunk caliper per week applied slowly across the entire trip zone.
• This applies year-round. We are having a dry spring, so you should irrigate unless there is rainfall that provides the required amount. (If you have shrubs in the drip zone of the tree, you will need to apply additional water.) A drip watering system works best as it provides a very long and slow drip for the moisture to penetrate down to the roots. Surface watering is not sufficient and may cause additional harm by encouraging surface roots. 

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you observe anything mentioned in the article.