HELP needed urgently

[denise]

Please help me!
I have an amazing Magnolia in my front garden, which after several years of working how best to prune it back, did this last summer. It survived this and was covered in flowers again this spring. Then the Wind arrived and because the branches have lots more movement it was swaying and bending in the wind. Yesterday I noticed that 2 of the branches have begun to split and the split is moving down the stem. If I remove these it will leave a big hole in the center of the tree and it will spoil it.
Will binding the sides of the branches together work ? Will it graft it self together?
Any advice please.
Not strictly GYO but Grow my own beauty.
I love this tree.

[Alice]

Hello Denise, shame about your Magnolia but you might be able to rescue it.
I would try binding it up to hold the split together. You could use strips of polythene. Then bind a splint on to it to hold it in place. I think there is every chance this will work. It worked on other trees and shrubs for me. Good luck with it.
My magnolia looks set to flower well this year. Last year the b***** roe deer ate every bud ! But they've been fenced out of here for good !

[Two_Sheds]

Oh Alice, you are cursed by those deer! What kind of fencing do you have? 'Gaia's Garden' recommends a barrier of Manchurian plum, Nanking Cheryr, wild roses, Mancurian apricot, buffaloberry, osage orange, gooseberry, currant, Siberian pea shrub. (plants chosen to be edible as well as deer proof)

[rustylady]

Try the splinting - it will have to be strong though. If it doesn't work you will have to cut back behind the damage. Good luck

[Palustris]

If the binding is strong enough to hold the cut together (with a splint as suggested) then it DOES work. We have had to do this in our garden. Do not be in too big a hurry to remove the bandage though, but do watch out for nasties moving in to the wrapping. If possible, once the flowers have finished, remove some of the weight above the split.

[TPeers]

Depending on the angle of the split I have heard - but never tried - the idea that the wrapping can be coated in tar or wax to inhibit the nasties that take advantge of such splits and tears.

Don't know if this helps.

Good luck, hope the strapping saves the branches in question

Terry

[bramble]

There is a product on the market for painting on wounds like this. Sorry i do not know the name but know it is available. Good luck with your tree.

[Snadger]

There is a product on the market for painting on wounds like this. Sorry i do not know the name but know it is available. Good luck with your tree.

Arbrex is the name!

[JennieAtkinson]

No ideas on how to save your Magnolia Denise, but having just been down in Essex last weekend, I just couldn't get over how beautiful the Magnolias were. I don't think I have been south at this time of the year for a long time and certainly in Essex every one looked fantastic!

Don't think one would grow up here .....

[Alice]

Hello Two Sheds, I am not cursed with the deer anymore. They have been fenced out since last year. Saw them today - OUTSIDE the fenced area. A buck and two does. Very gorgeous. Next time I see them they will have 4 speckled bambies with them - even more gorgeous. BUT they ALL eat everything , given the chance. There is NOTHING they don't eat. If they don't like it, they still bight the heads off then spit it out. And what they don't eat, they trample all over. And the buck barks everything with his lovely little horns. And having them in your garden is like having slugs 5 feet high. Sorry. I thought I had got over them, and the damage they did - but obviously not.
Denise, enjoy your magnolia, and I look forward to enjoying mine.

[denise]

Thank you to everyone for you suport, ideas and encouragement. Will be operating on the branches later to day, if i can pin OH down to help.
Alice i'm so pleased that you have the deer fenced out now, but done in a way that you are still able to enjoy them, they are beautiful at a distance. Enjoy your garden and it may be even better after all the free pruning it has had.
I hope your magnolia is beautiful and covered in flowers.

[Alice]

Thanks Denise. I'll post a pic when it gets to it's best. Can you post yours - with its wee bandage on.

[nick the grief]

Thank you to everyone for you suport, ideas and encouragement. Will be operating on the branches later to day, if i can pin OH down to help.
Alice i'm so pleased that you have the deer fenced out now, but done in a way that you are still able to enjoy them, they are beautiful at a distance. Enjoy your garden and it may be even better after all the free pruning it has had.
I hope your magnolia is beautiful and covered in flowers.

Try putting some tree ties or even cable ties round it (suitably cushioned) and they will help hold it together I guess the reason it has split is because of the loading on that partof the bracjh so perhaps some more rigourous pruning is in order but you may loose some flowers next year but better than loosing the tree