Please help Magnolia tree is browning?

I am hoping someone will be able to give advice to help me save my tree. When we moved into this house 2 yrs ago it was Summer and it was covered in Beautiful white flowers. Last year it never bloomed but the leaves were still shiney green and the tree looked healthy. This year it was brown on one side and instead of getting better a few months later it is 75% brown. The brown goes up the left side and is now all over the top too. This is a really big tree maybe 20ft plus tall. We have had weird weather this year and a spring frost and the end of last summer we cut some bottom branches that were too close to the ground. I am not sure if either of those things caused this but the tree is looking bad. There is nothing wrong with the trunk I can see and I see no bugs or bagworms other then some little white maybe termites under a rock near the tree (none were on the tree). Thanks to anyone with any advice as to how to save this tree. I try but I do not have a green thumb.. thanks

Please help Magnolia tree is browning?
I have a 20 ft. Magnolia too. I live in Southern Ca. where we had a freak frost this spring and odd 118 F heat last summer. Magnolias are an odd tree in that they lose their leaves in the summer. They are green in the winter and drop those annoying pods. The pods do look neat though in the fall with a dried flower arrangement. The leaves turn brown in the summer and drop all over the place. I thought there was something wrong with ours too until someone told be that's what they do.You could fertilize it with Miracle Grow if you want. They are temperamental when you prune them. Ours took a little while to recoup when we pruned ours.
Reply:Magnolias like to be kept moist, and the can get frost burnt and sun burnt.





The weather is all over the place at the moment, this is burning buds etc. You don't say if your tree is a deciduous or evergreen variety. All trees will loose leaves to save itself if it gets too dry . The brown leaves could be cold damage hence the side and top, or sunburn depending on how the weather has been in your area lately. Is the brown side on the exposed side or protected side? This may be a clue to weather damage. Also have you removed any adjoining trees that may have been giving it shelter from sun etc. You may have upset it's microclimate, and it will have to adjust.





I don't think trimming the bottom has caused any problems, so I wouldn't worry about that.





If it's been dry, start regular deep watering. If it's been very wet improve drainage around the tree (Magnolia's like good drainage). I would think if it had a disease or bug damage it would show up all over the tree at once.





To improve its health add a seaweed extract such as Seasol,sea weed extract, its a mild plant tonic which doesn't burn like fertilizers. Do not fertilize till the tree looks healther, it could push it over the edge.





Don't prune unless the branches are actually dead. Hope it recovers.