Magnolias are some of the most beautiful trees you can grow in your garden, and they can also be one of the most challenging. Their tall, narrow canopy, large flowers, and thin seedpods make them especially fussy.
If your magnolia isnג€™t flowering because its flowers are turning brown before they open (also known as ג€_x009c_blooming delayג€_x009d_), there may be a few things you can do to solve the problem. Read on to learn more about why your magnolia is not flowering and how to get it back on track.
How Do I Encourage Magnolia Flowers?
The most common reasons for a magnoliaג€™s flowers to turn brown before they open are when the tree is under-fertilized or the soil itג€™s planted in is too rich. To encourage flower production, give your magnolia about 1/4 cup of water per week and make sure that your treeג€™s soil has good drainage.
Magnolias also need at least 6 hours of direct sun each day to produce flowers. If you plant your magnolia in a spot where it will get this much sunlight, give it some supplemental lighting in the form of an inexpensive fluorescent light fixture during the cooler parts of the year. Additionally, fertilize your magnolia with a slow-release fertilizer that contains iron once every three months. This will help ensure that your trunk and roots have plenty of nutrients on hand.
If you want to grow additional blooms on your trees, consider placing small baskets filled with rocks around each tree’s base (about 10 inches from ground) to create a mini ecosystem. This will help encourage beneficial insects and fungi that can help pollinate your magnolia’s flowers and offer natural pest control.
Can I Put Coffee Grounds on My Magnolia?
In many cases, yes ג€“ coffee grounds fertilize magnolias. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, and other nutrients that are necessary for the plant to thrive.
However, coffee grounds may be too strong for your tree. If youג€™re unsure how much coffee grounds you should use on your magnolia, start by putting a small amount on a branch that isnג€™t flowering and see if it helps. If not, you can gradually increase the amount of coffee grounds over time until you find the sweet spot.
Remember: you want to be careful about using coffee grounds on trees that have been weakened by lack of water or other factors in order to avoid further stressing them out.
How Do You Keep Magnolias Healthy?
Magnolias are one of the easiest trees to grow, and they donג€™t typically require extensive care. Their wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes make them even more manageable.
There are a few things you can do to keep magnolia healthy:
– Water your tree regularly. Be sure to water when the soil is dry in order to avoid root rot and stem damage.
– Apply a fungicide or copper fungicide on new growth every three weeks.
– If you notice brown leaves on your tree, use a systemic insecticide that can be applied through the potting mix or soil.
– Check out our tips for composting with magnolias here!
Do Magnolia Seeds Need Stratification?
The first thing you want to know is whatג€™s the problem. If your tree has browning or fading flowers, it may be due to poor pollination. If your magnolia buds are turning brown before they open, this might also be the reason why your plant hasnג€™t flowered yet. When a plant is not pollinated, the flower will not form properly and may have brown areas around the edges of the petals. The seeds will also not develop correctly, so you wonג€™t get flowers from future seasons either.
If your magnolia has been pollinated but still isn’t blooming well, there are a few things that can help it along on its way to flowering: make sure the soil drains well, use fertilizer in the fall and spring, increase humidity levels in summer and winter by mulching or spraying water in leaves regularly, and put magnolias on a south-facing slope so they’re exposed to morning sun.
If you’re still unsure whether or not your magnolia needs stratification, follow these steps:
1) Remove flowers at ground level
2) Place fresh soil around base of tree
3) Place seedpods upside down on soil surface
4) Water daily for two weeks
5) Watch for sprouts (small green shoots with 1-2 leaves at their tips)
