What's wrong with my wilted Magnolia Teddy Bear tree?

leecowell

Hi garden community. I'm new to gardening and in need of some advice. 

I planted 10 x magnolia teddy bear trees 2 weeks ago. 9 look to be doing well but one has wilted terribly.

Soil is sandy Perth soil. I enriched the top soil prior to planting. The plants were watered in well,  and planted at correct depth and hole size. I mulched the garden bed after. They are planted along the garden wall which is south facing and receives plenty of light and is protected from damaging winds. 

We had a period of heavy rain for approx 3 days not long after planting. 

When I received the plant it had a few wilted leaves but I attributed that to damage during transport. Sadly the plant had deteriorated further since then. 

I would appreciate any advice on what may be wrong and how to care for the plant to bring it back to health. 

Thanks in advance.

JacobZ

Hi @leecowell,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

It sounds like you've done everything right with planting your Magnolia Teddy Bear trees, so the issue with the one wilted plant is likely specific to that individual tree.

Given the timing of heavy rain shortly after planting, the most likely cause is waterlogging or early root rot, especially if that particular planting hole is holding moisture differently due to variations in sandy soil.

Transplant shock could also be contributing, especially since the plant already showed signs of stress on arrival. It's also possible that the roots were damaged or pot-bound when you planted it, which can certainly hinder establishment. 

For now, avoid watering if the soil is moist, and apply a tonic like Seasol to help it recover. 

If the wilting continues and the roots appear black or mushy when inspected, you may need to lift and replant it slightly higher or replace the plant altogether. 

Keep an eye on it over the next week or two to see if there's any improvement. 

If there isn't any improvement, you can have it replaced as you'll be covered by our Perfect Plant Promise, which is detailed in our Returns Policies.

Allow me to tag our knowledgeable gardeners, @Noelle, @mich1972 and @mashthyme to see if they have any advice.

Jacob