Question
I live in southwest Michigan.  I have a magnolia bush which last year at this time (Sept) had all the leaves on one of the trunk and limbs turn yellow and die.  I removed all the branches and the entire trunk.  The remaining 4 trunks were perfectly healthy. Now I have another trunk and subsequent branches yellowing.  I'm fairly sure that these sections are dead.
Any idea how I can prevent this from reoccurring?  I'm running out of trunks.
Thank you,
Terri Dawson

Answer
Hi Terri:
The symptoms that you describe may indicate a gradual decline that is probably related to a root rot that is taking out one trunk at a time.  This disease can be caused by many different microorganisms, most of which can remain in the soil for some time.  In many cases, these organisms are already present, but then get the upper hand when the plant gets stressed out.  These "weaker" organisms can then attack the plant. This gradual decline will probably worsen and spread to the other trunks.  Replacement of the entire plant may become your best option.  It would be nice to have that magic bullet, but unfortunately that doesn't happen with many plant diseases.

Prevention is the best way to deal with these problems.  Plant health and well being should be emphasized.  Things that will help. Always start out with a good healthy plant, then be sure it is adapted for your area, then be sure it is planted in an appropriate area where the soil drains good.  Poor soil drainage leads to lots of problems with the roots.  Most plants do not like "wet feet" conditions over extended periods- it creates stress.  Things like a soil test is good before you plant.  This will give you some information about the nutrients etc that are important for plant health.  Avoiding wounds on the plant is also important.  Stringtrimmers and lawn mowers provide an injury by which disease organisms and even insects can enter and cause problems.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Steve