I live in San Antonio, and my little gem magnolia tree is disappointing me. It is 6 years old and about 8 ft tall. It is not full, about half the leaves are usually brown, and the bloom died in 3 weeks this year (like every year).

It gets half a day of sun. I read that magnolias can do well in part shade. Is my tree diseased, or am I doing something else wrong?

A very warm to the site and to the forum @SanAntonioGuy123!

From my understanding, magnolias can handle partial sun, but they prefer full sun much more. There is definitely something wrong with your tree, because magnolias should be in full bloom right now, and they are all (in bloom) in my neighborhood currently. Have you fertilized it? And how much water is it getting?

I have never fertilized it. It gets watered twice a week for 20 minutes from the sprinkler system in the yard.

Try fertilizing it, and it may be getting too much water. Try watering it for 20 minutes (as you're doing) once a week, or water it for 10 minutes, 2 times a week. Either should work. If the problem persists, then please let us know!

Better:

Have a soil test performed on your landscape, so you know what your starting point is. Putting fertilizer on plants often doesn't harm anything, but you have no way of knowing what or why you are doing anything. A similarity would be taking vitamins without knowing what your body chemistry may/may not lack.

Secondly, I'm very interested in the plant's life history and your association with it. Diagnosing from a distance requires a lot more information than solely some pictures.

**You say you planted this tree six years ago. Where did you acquire it, and in what condition was it (container/size, B&B, bare root; and how big initially).

**What time of year was it planted? Did you plant it, or did you hire someone?

**Tell us about the site preparation for planting; what the soil is like at that site; what size (width, depth) that the hole was dug out to before planting

**If you performed the planting, describe the condition of the root system and/or root ball when you planted this tree, and any manipulation you may have done to it at planting time.

**As far as watering regimen, a species like Magnolia grandiflora can be perfectly happy with regular moisture in well-drained fertile soils. I think once a week watering is sensible, but soaking the soil deeply is important through droughty conditions. Roots will grow where conditions are favorable, and roots function to absorb moisture and mineral nutrients, and exchange gases in the soil environment. If you maintain a shallow moisture layer in your soils, that's where your root systems will populate/proliferate - and be much more prone to damage from adverse climatic conditions. A drip irrigation system rather than overhead sprinkling will be much more effective at thorough soaking and "putting water where it is needed" - especially in the warm climes of San Antonio.

Echoing our good friend and fellow contributor @oneeyeluke : I suspect you have root problems. Your tree's trunk looks like it joins the ground like a post, rather than with a healthy visible root/buttress flare. That would indicate that this plant was installed too deep in the ground. This kind of problem can almost never be overcome, no matter how attentive to watering and/or fertilization you are. Another potential problem - which can't be known without further information - is whether your plant had poor/terrible root conformation when you planted it. Thus, the condition questions above. If your plant started life in a container (or series of containers, being potted up with size increase), then there is a very high chance that it developed circling and/or girdling roots prior to your acquisition. If you didn't rectify this problem upon planting, then that bad condition has only worsened in the ensuing 6 years. This usually leads to the "it just died" complaint.

Finally, IMNTBHO, that is NOT a 'Little Gem' Southern Magnolia. The leaves appear to be too large, not rounded enough at the edges (revolute), and lacking the rusty brown indumentum on the leaf undersides that are typical for that clone's characteristics. It may just be the quality and distance of the photos, but that seems like more of a run-of-the-mill Southern Magnolia seedling than a quality select clone.

In the end - and you all are glad the sermon is over, aren't you - please provide more information. If you can afford to replace this plant, I think that may end up being the best long term decision. If you choose to, it would be a good lesson in forensics and an excellent learning opportunity to dig this one out and fully examine the primary root system - photographing it all along the way and posting it here for all to see and learn from.

John! Better than I could've said it