hi , i have a felix jury magnolia that i have had for the last 10 months ,the problem is now that i have noticed that it has lost all its leaves and looks like its dieing? some of the roots at the top have appeared and look dry and dead? some parts of the main steam are going very dark also. what is the best thing to do? should i take it out the pot its in and try and look at the rest of the root sytem? and then re-pot?. any help would be greatfull as i dont wish to lose this plant. thanks.

Let's work out why it's nearly or completely dead. Then we might try and work out if there is any hope and how best to take advantage of it. It isn't completely without hope, it might be shedding its leaves to protect itself from some problem, while some life remains, and if whatever is hurting it is soon removed, it might then be able to releaf or send up new shoots next spring. One of my Magnolias was frozen to the ground by a late frost one year, and it grew back from the roots. Whilst Magnolias hate having their roots interfered with, I suppose there is no harm in pulling it out of the pot to try and see what is going on.

Main reasons for killing plants in pots are (1) plant drowned because there was inadequate drainage (2) plant dried out because didn't get enough water (3) pests. So we take it out and have a look at the roots. Are the roots all shrivelled up - it died of thirst; are the roots all rotting, (especially smelly at the bottom) - it drowned. Roots chewed, or crawling with visible pests, then pests.

If it is drowned, then you didn't provide for drainage. Repot in a pot with drainage holes. Try to avoid bothering the roots when doing this. If the roots are filling the pot, give it a larger pot and more soil.

Dried out, well better take up watering it properly then. Is the pot very full of roots, so taht water can't penetrate the root ball? Are there almost no roots in the outer part of the soil, but there is an inner potbound core where the roots rae confined, and water can't penetrate that? Were you watering it regularly and copiously, preferably with rain water if you are in a hard water area? Pot plants can dry out very quickly, even in a summer such as we have just had, and need regular watering. Magnolias don't like drying out.

Now one problem that can occur is that they die of drought even when apparently well watered. This can happen when badly potbound, or the previous potting-on did not happen soon enough, and there is the core of a badly potbound plant in the centre of the pot, and very few roots have penetrated into the outer part of the pot with the new soil. Water has great difficulty penetrating the pot-bound core. In such a cases, the best you can do is try to tease some roots out as gently as possible, and pray. Magnolias hate having their roots interfered with, but they can't live if heavily potbound either.

If you decide that there is no hope, then next time, get your Magnolia when you are ready to plant it in the ground, and plant it there, rather than trying to carry on keeping it alive in a pot, because they are not easy pot subjects. Or else choose a small variety suitable for long-term pot cultivation.