Sad Susan (Magnolia)

[PaperBlinds]

Why didn't i know there was such a useful gardening board on Mumsnet?!

So, bought a beautiful Magnolia 'Susan' last year which did beautifully until it got a bit dried out in the heat last summer. I moved it to a shady spot and where it then got very moldy/mildewy looking and all the leaves dropped off. I have sort of left it be to see if it would come back, but every other magnolia in the area is in full bloom or even going over and i have three tiny pathetic unfurling leaves and can't tell if the buds are dead, dormant or might actually grow. It's about three foot high and in a large pot.

TLDR: has magnolia had it? what can i do to save it?
thanks!

I’m in the Scottish Highlands and my Susan is just starting to bloom, for the first time though and I’ve had it three years.
Is there any way you can transplant to a flower bed? If you did have grey mould on it it could still be loitering in the pot? Otherwise, I’d simply accept this year is a recovery year and keep an eye on leaf health as year progresses.

Thank you! Is there any feed magnolias need/like do you know?

Hmmm. Does it have to stay in a pot? My Susan has been in for 15 years and it's about 15ft high, they're naturally quite big plants. They are woodlanders and don't respond well to being completely dried out.

You could be generous and nurture it for a few years, or you could cut your losses and get yourself a new one.

I think we hang on to underperforming plants for far too long, especially in small gardens - even an expensive plant is cheap compared to (eg) a new pair of shoes. If you have a small garden then I'd say chuck it out and get yourself something that will be happier in the same spot in a pot, or put your new one somewhere more suitable.

Magnolia Susan is a later flowering one than many of the others you've probably seen so don't worry about timing alone. The benefit of flowering later is that the flowers/ buds are less likely to get ruined by frost.

However, if you're keeping it in a pot, I wonder whether it's getting enough nutrients? It's probably too late to affect this year's blooms, but I would make sure you've got adequate fertiliser during this growing season.

I’ve got a Susan as well, in the border in a small garden so am slightly worried about the 15 foot above….but it may just have to come out at some point.

I’d also tip it out it’s pot and check for vineweevils. Little c shaped white grubs. You can treat with nematodes. It’ll be happier in John innes compost rather than multipurpose, or a mix, with some food granules. I’d give it a feed, tip it out and check it’s not waterlogged. It’ll need eventually to be in a very big pot put you have to move it on gradually…but it’ll be happier in the ground as it’s too big for a pot really.

magnolia Stella’s is probably happier in a pot. Half barrel size.

I will repot with John Innes, I think. Slightly concerned by size now- I bought it thinking it would be happy in a pot as we have a lot of increasingly large trees in a small garden and I like to move things round. I do have a spot for it but after the mildewy leaves I am worried it's not sunny enough there.

a few more leaves this morning!

Was it powdery mildew? Like white dust on the leaves? I don’t know if that’s something that affects magnolia but if it is the cause is dry roots, not too much damp.

Heres my Susan - the little statue is about 1m high.

It will stay much smaller in a pot though!

MIne doesn't have any leaves yet, I'm north west and it's been cold and wet here. It is a later bloomer.

I have just been studying my Susan and wondering the same. We bought it last year so haven’t seen it bloom yet.

Good to know that many Susans are late bloomers! More green buds this morning after a day of sun. So fingers crossed 🤞🏽

@LadyGardenersQuestionTime yes powdery white mildew - totally didn't know that was from dry roots, will attempt to water more regularly.