How to Dig Around and Straighten a Year-Old Magnolia Tree
After planting a magnolia tree, you wait in anticipation for the tree to grow and to imbue your outdoor landscape with fragrant blossoms year after year. Sometimes after planting, however, the ground can settle unevenly and leave you with a leaning tree. Young magnolia trees with a less than 4-inch trunk diameter do not have extensive roots systems, making digging up and straightening more feasible than with older magnolia trees. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hand trowel
- Wheelbarrow or tarp
- Metal post
- Post driver
- Rubber tubing or vinyl strap
Instructions
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1
Soak the ground around the tree roots deeply.
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Poke the ground gently with a hand trowel to loosen the soil, taking extreme care not to strike any of the tree's roots.
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3
Dig out the soil only on the opposite side that the tree leans towards. Scoop out as much soil by hand as possible, removing dirt from around and under the roots. Magnolia tree roots have rope-like qualities and rarely branch. Only use a trowel when necessary to avoid damaging the thin roots with the trowel blade. Place the excavated soil in a nearby wheelbarrow or on a tarp.
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4
Insert a metal post into the ground on the opposite side of the lean and just under the edge of the tree's canopy.
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Pull the tree into a straight position. Tie rubber tubing or a wide nylon strap around the tree and post to hold the tree in place. Position the tie near the bottom of the trunk.
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Pack the excavated soil around and on top of the roots on the side of the tree where soil was removed. Pack the ground on the other side of the tree where the soil was only loosened. Make sure that all tree roots remain underground.
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Water the soil around the tree.
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8
Remove the stake and tie the following spring to give the roots enough time to reestablish themselves.
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References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
