Magnolia Damage from large fallen tree - Ask Extension
I have a Tulip Poplar, 80-100’, that cracked & fell on July 31 (and totaled my car, but luckily no one was injured). I would appreciate your tho...
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Magnolia Damage from large fallen tree #807792
Asked August 24, 2022, 9:55 AM EDT
I have a Tulip Poplar, 80-100’, that cracked & fell on July 31 (and totaled my car, but luckily no one was injured). I would appreciate your thoughts about what if anything can be done with a beloved Magnolia that it damaged on the way down. Two significant branches were broken off leaving a hole in the profile. One of the other branches (#1) in this area was weighed down to the extent that it is not rebounding naturally. Its most distal branches & leaves are less than 2’ from the ground (see photo). This is the most obvious and therefore the *primary problem*. There is also an adjacent branch (#2) that is affected to a lesser degree, at least with respect to its appearance relative to the rest of the tree, also in photo. Two days later of course, a broken branch with dead leaves fell out of a tall adjacent tree, damaging the 3rd branch (#3). This one is in the back of the tree, but it is still important to me.
I was wondering if at least the Branch #1 can be pulled up somehow, or supported, & if it might become stronger over time so that it returns to its former position & helps to cover the hole that was left by the other two branches that were broken off. And ideally Branch #3 also. Or even if it can just be supported…forever. Or, if there’s nothing to be done other than perhaps prune the underneath of that branch (which really is very little), to “lighten the canopy.”
I have had 3 tree services out to evaluate the Tulip Poplar damage and give me estimates to remove the debris & standing trunk. I asked each of them about the Magnolia and at first they hesitated, but then there was talk of stakes, cables, pulleys, wire, ropes, or only lightning the canopy. It was mentioned that there might be a problem if the remaining branches/trunk were not be strong enough, but often settled on the trunk as the most likely candidate. I really want to do what I can to help the tree, but don’t want to knowingly do something that will cause further harm.
I contacted two ISA Arborists, but they are not available for quite some time. I figured it’s probably not best to leave the Branch #1 for that long if something can be done (& really Branch #3 is bad also, although it is in the back). I was hoping that you might give me some guidance, so I have an idea of what the Tree Service might do to help this problem. I think they can do what needs to be done, if we know what that is, at least for Branch #1, but also the others, especially Branch #3, if possible.
I have a solo photo of Branch #2, but can't upload it.
Please don’t tell me you can’t at least guide me!
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
We understand the hesitance of the consulted tree service personnel, because the Magnolia has experienced significant damage that normally we wouldn't attempt to salvage given the potential for wood decay, the time involved in restoring the tree's aesthetic appeal (compared to the time needed to just establish a new tree that can catch up more easily in stature), and the potential cost of materials that may or may not work well to support its remaining growth.
In general, we defer to the assessment of ISA-certified arborists, since they will be able to inspect the tree in person for defects that could impact structural load-bearing arrangements if you attempted to affix an arching branch either to a support or held up by another limb. They will also have more experience than we do in terms of real-world attempts at using these tactics with regards to success rate and potential risks to tree health.
That said, here's what the tree may do on its own if left as-is, excluding the need to trim any remaining or additional breakage that may occur so those wounds seal-over to discourage decay. If the tree is otherwise healthy enough and receiving enough sunlight to support good growth, there are probably viable yet dormant buds underneath the bark along the branches that currently are devoid of foliage (which is normal since they used to be shaded by the Magnolia's upper canopy). Now that they are receiving more light, and especially in any areas where the end of that branch has lost growth due to trimming (which frees-up some carbohydrates transported along the branch by the sapwood), they may break dormancy and sprout new growth all along those curved branches. This probably won't happen until spring, since the waning daylight this time of year will probably discourage most above-ground growth. Over time, these secondary growths will fill the canopy back in, though Magnolia branch growth tends to be relatively slow, so this is a multi-year process. In that situation it would be ok (aesthetically at least) if the curved branches don't right themselves, since this new growth would be growing mostly upwards to fill in that gap. Some of those young branches will be very close to each other since there will probably be more of them than originally grew along that branch, so some thinning to reduce crowding would be needed in future years. To know which branchlets are best kept or removed, using an arborist's input or services at that time would be prudent.
Magnolias as a group tend to tolerate pruning quite well, but how well this individual responds to partial canopy loss will depend on its overall vigor prior to the damage (that is, if it has enough energy stored to spur good regrowth) and whether or not it's dealing with any other stressors. For example, make sure it's not experiencing drought stress by feeling the soil about six inches deep within the tree's root zone and watering well when it's becoming fairly dry to the touch at that depth. Most Magnolias have decent drought tolerance, but root competition from remaining nearby trees, plus the lawn, will be reducing the amount of soil moisture it can access. By making sure you're not irrigating when the soil is damp to the touch at that depth, you're avoiding over-watering, which deprives roots of oxygen.
We suggest you also protect the Magnolia's trunk base by encircling it with mulch (if there is some, we didn't see it in the photos). Accidental mower or weed-whacker strikes on trees growing amid lawn can be serious injuries that either damage vital sapwood directly or provide an entry point for pathogens or wood-boring insects, neither of which can be treated once they become established. Even if the tree has been growing unmulched for years without problems, we don't want to risk adding to its woes at this point, especially in this weakened state. Don't cover the trunk itself with mulch, but use a flat layer that extends a minimum of two feet out from the trunk (radius) and is about two to three inches deep. Ideally, the entire root zone of a tree is mulched, but that's usually not practical for most yards. Still, increase that mulched radius as far as you'd like (especially since the turf will eventually lose that battle anyway; it already seems to be struggling). You can use an alternative planting to lawn if you prefer to have something growing under the tree instead of only mulch. As the mulch biodegrades, it will also add organic matter to the soil, which benefits tree roots and supports plant health.
Miri
In general, we defer to the assessment of ISA-certified arborists, since they will be able to inspect the tree in person for defects that could impact structural load-bearing arrangements if you attempted to affix an arching branch either to a support or held up by another limb. They will also have more experience than we do in terms of real-world attempts at using these tactics with regards to success rate and potential risks to tree health.
That said, here's what the tree may do on its own if left as-is, excluding the need to trim any remaining or additional breakage that may occur so those wounds seal-over to discourage decay. If the tree is otherwise healthy enough and receiving enough sunlight to support good growth, there are probably viable yet dormant buds underneath the bark along the branches that currently are devoid of foliage (which is normal since they used to be shaded by the Magnolia's upper canopy). Now that they are receiving more light, and especially in any areas where the end of that branch has lost growth due to trimming (which frees-up some carbohydrates transported along the branch by the sapwood), they may break dormancy and sprout new growth all along those curved branches. This probably won't happen until spring, since the waning daylight this time of year will probably discourage most above-ground growth. Over time, these secondary growths will fill the canopy back in, though Magnolia branch growth tends to be relatively slow, so this is a multi-year process. In that situation it would be ok (aesthetically at least) if the curved branches don't right themselves, since this new growth would be growing mostly upwards to fill in that gap. Some of those young branches will be very close to each other since there will probably be more of them than originally grew along that branch, so some thinning to reduce crowding would be needed in future years. To know which branchlets are best kept or removed, using an arborist's input or services at that time would be prudent.
Magnolias as a group tend to tolerate pruning quite well, but how well this individual responds to partial canopy loss will depend on its overall vigor prior to the damage (that is, if it has enough energy stored to spur good regrowth) and whether or not it's dealing with any other stressors. For example, make sure it's not experiencing drought stress by feeling the soil about six inches deep within the tree's root zone and watering well when it's becoming fairly dry to the touch at that depth. Most Magnolias have decent drought tolerance, but root competition from remaining nearby trees, plus the lawn, will be reducing the amount of soil moisture it can access. By making sure you're not irrigating when the soil is damp to the touch at that depth, you're avoiding over-watering, which deprives roots of oxygen.
We suggest you also protect the Magnolia's trunk base by encircling it with mulch (if there is some, we didn't see it in the photos). Accidental mower or weed-whacker strikes on trees growing amid lawn can be serious injuries that either damage vital sapwood directly or provide an entry point for pathogens or wood-boring insects, neither of which can be treated once they become established. Even if the tree has been growing unmulched for years without problems, we don't want to risk adding to its woes at this point, especially in this weakened state. Don't cover the trunk itself with mulch, but use a flat layer that extends a minimum of two feet out from the trunk (radius) and is about two to three inches deep. Ideally, the entire root zone of a tree is mulched, but that's usually not practical for most yards. Still, increase that mulched radius as far as you'd like (especially since the turf will eventually lose that battle anyway; it already seems to be struggling). You can use an alternative planting to lawn if you prefer to have something growing under the tree instead of only mulch. As the mulch biodegrades, it will also add organic matter to the soil, which benefits tree roots and supports plant health.
Miri
