Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Magnolia tree ruined?, 1 by snapple45

snapple45 wrote:
Here's Magnolia stellata 'Merrill'. Truly lovely when it escapes late spring frosts. Horrid when it doesn't. 'Merrill' wants to be a large shrub. It's been carefully pruned since about year 5 ( of 15 ) to keep it more tree like. Also last year it had an unusual case of spotty incidents of die back. OSU Extension lab tests were negative for verticillium wilt. A investigational dig around the base of the trunk revealed 3 girdling roots! These roots were new, none over 1-1/2" in diameter. The worst two were removed immediately. The third wasn't yet serious and will be removed after leaf out this coming spring. I believe they might have been encouraged by over mulching. Although I've always kept mulch well away from the trunk I did mulch the root area every year. Last year after removing the girdling roots I under planted the area with Epidemium rubrum. In the future I'll mulch more more lightly about every third year. You live, you garden and you learn.