I planted 3 "jane" magnolia x trees/bushes in late April of 2008. Since then I just started noticing the leaves curling on all three trees. I live in Cincinnati, OH area and rain has been somewhat normal since I planted them. Are they getting not enough water? too much water? is it a disease/insect problem?
Thanks for the quick reply. I have not sprayed them with anything, and they are in my yard so they shouldn't have received any overspray from neighbors.
what was the right answer to your problem? I have the same issue. could it in deed be lawn fertilizer? If so how can we prevent it affects the tree which is sitting on the lawn?
You may find the leaves are curling due to an infestation of magnolia scale insects. The only way to treat is through pesticide typically done by an arborist. The scale feed on the sap in the tree and secrete a liquid that will tend to also turn the leaves black from soot or dirt in the atmosphere sticking to it. The other "treat" is the wasps & hornets the liquid will attract. Do a Google search for "magnolia scale" and you should get a host of links that will give you more detail as well as some pictures of what you might be looking for.
