Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: winter damage to Magnolia; update, 1 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
I can help you with bayberry culture. I got into the habit of researching exactly what plants preferred. I had to, because several acid loving plants were installed in my yard when I was a complete novice (like fothergilla gardenii, which I also acidified with Ironite, but only twice a year).That way I got the best results from them. I get a real charge from that. Watching a plant go from surviving to getting the best of fruiting and flowering because of my efforts gives me a buzz (OK, strange, but it's a LEGAL thrill!)

Mine would become chlorotic without treatment with Ironite 3-4 times a year. My initial ph was 7.9! It took me a while to figure it out. These babies like acid soil, so I gave them pine bark mulch and Ironite and it corrected the problem. Please see the picture for chlorotic bayberries - note that they are huge anyway! I did correct it after this. But it also shows the suckering salvia verticillata 'White Rain' and anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' I referred to above. How I miss this ease of culture!

As for soil of choice, talk about unfussy! These will grow in sandy soil on the east coast. Although it does not mention ph, check out this blurb from The Missouri Botanical Garden (I love their plant information, by the way):

Culture

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, peaty or sandy, acidic soils, but tolerates a wide range of soils and growing conditions, including drought, poor soils, wet soils, high winds and salt spray (seashore or road salt conditions). Groupings of plants need at least one male plant to facilitate pollination of female plants and subsequent fruit set. Shrubs tend to sucker, and may form sizeable colonies in optimum growing conditions.

The whole sheet on this plant is here:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFind...