Back in the 1950s, the National Arboretum produced a series of magnolia hybrids they dubbed the "Little Girl" series. One of these is Susan, a cross between Magnolia liliiflora Nigra and M. stellata Rosea. Susan blooms in April in fragrant fuschia flowers on a deciduous shrub that grows 8 to 12 feet in height with an equal spread. Susan is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 through 8. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clean up any mulch and other debris from beneath and around the Susan magnolia. Bag the debris and dispose of it.
2. Add the fertilizer to the spreader's hopper, at the rate listed on the label for the size of your Susan magnolia, and scatter it over the soil under the tree's canopy. Begin the application 12 inches from the trunk and spread it 1 foot beyond the dripline.
3. Water the soil in the application area to a depth of 8 inches to soak the fertilizer to the Susan magnolia's roots.
4. Apply a fresh, 3-inch layer of mulch to the soil, 6 inches from the Susan magnolia's trunk, and spread it 1 foot beyond the dripline.
Tags: Susan magnolia, beyond dripline, foot beyond, foot beyond dripline, inches from, spread foot
