Q.Magnolia Tree Orange/brown Tinge On Leaves
Hello, I recently purchased a large specimen established magnolia tree, but it has been a few weeks now and it is not looking very healthy at all. Can anyone help me to diagnose the issue? It has only produced one, rather sickly looking flower. I thought it could be two things: the first is over watering? I read online that they need regular watering at the start but noone actually explains how often this is. I was watering it every few days at first because of the severe heat we’ve been having. I have now not watered it in about a week and am scared to do so untill I know what is normal for the specimen I purchased. The second reason could be because I needed to straighten the trunk, after realizing after a week it was leaning too much to the right. To do this I dug into the ground about a foot away, and with my shovel used as a lever I went down deep enough as to be under the root ball, and lifted the tree to the correct upright position and filled soil gradually into the crevice created. Could I have given the roots shock or crushed them with the slight move? In the beginning I mixed liquid seaweed into the water I used to water it, but the tree potting soil I bought also had seaweed in it so have I also potentially overloaded it? Thankyou for reading, if anyone has any advice or a similar experience then please I’d be very grateful.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Overwatering is quite a possibility. That's the most common killer of newly planted trees. Generally, you water when the soil is completely dry down several inches. Because of that, there isn't any set amount of time between waterings.
Another thing to address... The movement of the roots that are trying to get established could definitely have something to do with it. If they do not have time to settle in, then it causes the tree enough stress that it fails to take up water and nutrients properly.
Feeding with seaweed isn't very likely to harm anything if it wasn't concentrated, but I don't usually recommend feeding right off after transplant.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
