Anonymous wrote:The magnolias dying was less the cold and more the mild fall and then drought conditions going into winter. The deep freeze we had for a week plus was the final stress. I am a landscape designer and for the first time I had my clients water in December. Many of my projects are irrigated but those systems were shut down by late October. In my own garden I put in 7 new magnolias late in the year and they are doing great but I know it was because I was the weird person watering around Christmas! There have been some people who have had their magnolias send up sprouts but 90% of these are goners. Trees need moisture before they go dormant - and magnolias can usually handle even lower temps than we had
Yep, people forget that plants need water in winter. Google "winter burn" folks. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was the nuts because I went out several times throughout the winter and moved the hose around to water my new plants and they're all doing fine. I didn't lose one new tree this winter and I have over a dozen new trees planted last year.