tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post1463697704969069145..comments2023-12-23T04:37:14.632-08:00Comments on Gaia Garden: Living With Southern MagnoliasGaia Gardener:http://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-24444429410361835192023-06-08T10:19:20.117-07:002023-06-08T10:19:20.117-07:00I had plants planted under the tree which held the...I had plants planted under the tree which held the leaves in place pretty well. (We have since moved from this property.). There generally wasn't a lot of wind where we lived.. Some leaves would fall outside the area that I had designated as a planting bed and we would rake/pick up those leaves. Sometimes I would chop up the leaves with the mower and put them back on the bed.Gaia Gardener:https://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-39547051739430451422023-06-07T19:23:47.420-07:002023-06-07T19:23:47.420-07:00What do you do with the leaves. They blow in nearb...What do you do with the leaves. They blow in nearby yards. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-18543352619084853192023-02-01T13:43:43.264-08:002023-02-01T13:43:43.264-08:00Dear Topsie B,
I'd not heard that magnolia le...Dear Topsie B,<br /><br />I'd not heard that magnolia leaves are allelopathic, but in doing a google search, I found out that you are correct. I know that magnolia leaves can also suppress growth simply because they are so large and dense and they do take a relatively long time to decompose. <br /><br />If you've got the space, my first inclination is to rake out the majority of those leaves, leaving a 3-4" deep layer, and put the rest into a separate compost bin somewhere to see what happens. Shredding the leaves would help them decompose faster, but would also kill any insects sheltering in the leaves. Shredding would reduce the volume of the leaves and allow them to be used as mulch under the existing magnolia.<br /><br />Two feet deep is definitely too deep for much of anything to come up through. On the other hand, it will suppress any weeds!<br /><br />We no longer live at this house or even in Florida, so I can't tell you how the area under this tree is doing now, several years later. While we lived there, I grew dwarf yaupon, ferns, and Clethra under it and they were growing well, if not spectacularly. I did not even attempt to grow grass there, as the shade was too dense - and root competition was definitely "a thing". Magnolias are greedy feeders.<br /><br />Best of luck.Gaia Gardener:https://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-37010579878568514352023-02-01T10:10:52.953-08:002023-02-01T10:10:52.953-08:00I have read that the magnolia leaves have chemical...I have read that the magnolia leaves have chemicals in them that suppress other plants from growing similar to Black Walnut therefore I'm afraid to grind them up and put them into the compost.. do you think this is true or not? Mine are approaching 2 ft deep.<br /><br /><br />Topsie Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10933215083217774769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-10990252635952137682018-05-07T21:04:54.696-07:002018-05-07T21:04:54.696-07:00Very interesting post. I remember being impressed ...Very interesting post. I remember being impressed with the massive size of the Southern Magnolias in Memphis, where we visited our son when he worked there years ago. They seem like very ancient trees, as if from an earlier era of life on earth.Jasonhttp://gardeninacity.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-22679372672588136192018-05-04T15:21:44.782-07:002018-05-04T15:21:44.782-07:00Ah, all of your magnolias are deciduous! It's...Ah, all of your magnolias are deciduous! It's those pesky, waxy evergreen leaves that are the problem with southern magnolia - and also the reason why they have a problem surviving in the cold, windy, drought of a prairie winter.<br /><br />I love the deciduous magnolias, especially Magnolia stellata 'Waterlily'. I hope yours weren't too hurt by this year's odd weather.Gaia Gardener:https://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-1152969511696872152018-05-04T13:31:48.041-07:002018-05-04T13:31:48.041-07:00I have 4 Magnolias at present; Magnolia stellata,...I have 4 Magnolias at present; Magnolia stellata, 'Ann', 'Jane', and 'Yellow Bird'. The first three are all bushes and they survive well; the Star Magnolia is about 5 foot tall and round, 'Ann' and 'Jane' are both 8 foot magnolia bushes, and Yellow Bird is too young to tell...it's the only tree form and stands right now around 6 feet tall but it's only a few years old. ProfessorRoushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17827625019371233145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-43110707499603573202018-05-02T12:57:55.447-07:002018-05-02T12:57:55.447-07:00Prof, they've grown fairly well in Wichita, al...Prof, they've grown fairly well in Wichita, although they are far from huge there. I think that's actually stretching their zone pretty well, though, and I suspect most are in locations where they get some protection from the worst of the winter droughts, winds and freezes. On your open location, I would think it would be a lot harder.<br /><br />Will yours come back from the roots this year, do you think?Gaia Gardener:https://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24376388.post-15342250720311249522018-05-01T14:25:02.378-07:002018-05-01T14:25:02.378-07:00Every rose....err Magnolia...has it's thorns, ...Every rose....err Magnolia...has it's thorns, or something like that.<br /><br />I've been trying to stretch a few Northern Magnolias...or whatever the species is...here; they make nice bushes which occasionally has some bloom...if they're not hit by freezes, as we were this year. Sigh.ProfessorRoushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17827625019371233145noreply@blogger.com