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Transplanted Magnolia in Minnesota: Spring Dieback Assessment

Zone 4 MN: Fall 2006 transplanted magnolia. Spring: buds, 1 flower, few leaves. Now leafless, some branches snap, some bend. Cut back to help rooting?

Assessment and Care

Mulch ≤3"; water when dry
Don't prune yet – wait for re-foliation
Viability test: scrape bark – green = alive, brown = dead. Trace to find live tissue.
Prune dead later

Food spikes and root stimulator already applied – adequate.

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