By Karzi
New South Wales,
Australia 
A friend has told me that I have a Magnolia Dawsoniana in my gdn. I've only been here 6 months and the tree looks sick. Leaves are turning brown, breaking up and dying. Large red seed pods have been on it since I moved in which the birds eat. Has not flowered although it has buds, so my questions are: Should I prune it back now or wait until Spring? or should I feed it and see what happens? As we are now coming into our winter I'm about to commence pruning. JC Blue Mountains Sydney Australia
2 Apr, 2010
Answers
Thanks very much for info. Will tidy up this year and prune properly next year.
3 Apr, 2010
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If its budding its still alive and kicking - the skeletonised leaves (in the UK) look like some kind of leaf miner or moth damage (from the larvae). I'm wondering why its budding if your winter approaches, but never mind - can't find any instructions for pruning particular to this variety, but as its deciduous, you can tidy it up now (late summer) and cut it back, but not more than a third of the plant. Hard, drastic pruning can be carried out in late spring, but you will lose any flowers.
2 Apr, 2010