tree in trouble
We just moved into scorching LA and our small tree in the front has started turning brown. The leaves that is. Mind you, the temperatures are soaring, but we have a sprinkler that waters every day. The lawn next to the tree is still green...I have started giving it a second drink about 12 hours apart from the regular time...does anyone have any thoughts about what else to do? Or why the leaves are turning brown?
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MaineDesigner
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- Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b
well, I took a bit of a branch to our local nursery, who told me it's a Magnolia. Now I really feel awful, it's such a pretty flowering tree in spring! They think it got too much water, and I have to dig down 4" at the drip line to see if the ground is wet or dry, an hour after we water tommorrow. I did as you suggested today, and the earth was damp, several hours after our noraml sprinkler. The nursery thinks maybe we shoudl water every other day and for twice as long. Ugh.
What do you think?
What do you think?
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dorothydot
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- Location: Southern Maryland
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MaineDesigner
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 439
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
- Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b
Over or under watering is a common problem when the sprinkler system is primarily intended for lawn grasses. The high nitrogen demands of lawns also don't work well with many other plants.
The reason not to water at mid day is because it is inefficient (higher evaporative loses) not because it will harm the plant. Usually watering at or a few hours before dawn is preferred.
Your nursery's advice may be good. This is something of a trial and error process. Broadly speaking most magnolias prefer rich, slightly acidic, well drained but moist soils. They tend not to be terribly tolerant of either drought or wet conditions. The fact that the soil feels damp several hours after watering isn't necessarily a red flag. What you want to avoid are either bone dry or wet soil. If it were me I would switch my sprinkler to manual control and check the moisture "feel" at twelve and twenty-four hours after watering. If it still feels moist at twenty-four hours keep checking at about twelve hour intervals. I would also check deeper than four inches, dig down a foot if possible.
The reason not to water at mid day is because it is inefficient (higher evaporative loses) not because it will harm the plant. Usually watering at or a few hours before dawn is preferred.
Your nursery's advice may be good. This is something of a trial and error process. Broadly speaking most magnolias prefer rich, slightly acidic, well drained but moist soils. They tend not to be terribly tolerant of either drought or wet conditions. The fact that the soil feels damp several hours after watering isn't necessarily a red flag. What you want to avoid are either bone dry or wet soil. If it were me I would switch my sprinkler to manual control and check the moisture "feel" at twelve and twenty-four hours after watering. If it still feels moist at twenty-four hours keep checking at about twelve hour intervals. I would also check deeper than four inches, dig down a foot if possible.
we water at 4AM for 6 minutes. It has been hotter than usual lately, normal is the 90s, last week it was over 100 for several days. I just heard from a friend who lives in Valencia, where it has been even a bit hotter that this is typical behavior for magnolias, that it might very well drop all it's leaves, and then grow them again when the weather is cooler. She said not to overwater, and that everything is having a tough time right now because of the extreme prolonged heat.
Thanks to all for the advice and good suggestions.
I bet it's lovely now in Maine!
Thanks to all for the advice and good suggestions.
I bet it's lovely now in Maine!