Typically, root damage won't result in a total lack of flowers, but your magnolia may bloom less dramatically. Insects and diseases are the primary causes of root damage in plants, but people can also disrupt a magnolia's root system by digging around in the root zone.
If you cultivate the area within the tree's root zone, you may damage its feeder roots, which can reduce nutrient and water intake, leading to reduced blooming. Root-feeding insects don't usually bother magnolias, and the only root-damaging diseases that affect them, according to the University of California's Integrated Pest Management site, are typically root rots from excessive watering. Ensuring the soil never remains constantly wet prevents root rot.
Too much fertilizer adversely affects a magnolia's blooms. Fertilizer has three primary nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Nitrogen promotes shoot and leaf growth, phosphorous increases flowering and root strength, and potassium increases the magnolia's overall health and strength. Adding too much nitrogen will spur green growth and reduce flowering. A balanced fertilizer consisting of equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium applied in spring works best for magnolias.
A magnolia placed in excessive shade will see few flowers, poor growth and overall poor health. The foliage may appear droopy, and new shoots will appear stunted.
In areas with hot, dry summers, magnolias enjoy some shade, with typically four to six hours of sun per day. The plants thrive in more than six hours of sun per day in climates with more forgiving summers. Excessive sun exposure in hotter climates won't result in a lack of flowering , but may damage the flowers and foliage of species that bloom in summer.
Magnolias prefer the lower end of the pH spectrum, requiring acidic soil to flower, grow and essentially survive. A soil pH between 5. They are very adaptable to many soil types but prefer an acidic and slightly moist soil. You might start by checking your soil pH with one of our soil test kits.
If your soil acidity is too low try adding some Hi-Yield Aluminum Sulfate. These trees also prefer a full-sun location, as well. The newer cultivars that you can purchase from nurseries or growers have been bred to bloom in a shorter time frame, each one slightly different. Little Gem, a smaller magnolia, gets started blooming in about three years.
As for fertilization, one source from a southern university extension office recommends during the first three growing seasons to apply light frequent fertilization. Measure out from the tree trunk three times the canopy width then broadcast 2 cups of an or fertilizer per square feet in March, May, July and September.
After that reduce this application frequency to once or twice a year. It was also suggested by one grower to apply doses of a liquid acid fertilizer a few times during the year. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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