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| I've just figured out that the wonderful smelling plant in my new backyard is Michelia Figo. However, I think there is something wrong with it and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if this is normal for the plant, or what I should do to it.
Overall it's about 5 feet tall and 3 feet across. The plant was moved about 10 years ago and just hasn't been quite the same since then.
It has leaves, but they are a pale green and sparsely dispursed across the plant; you can look through it with no problem.
Because it's not looking too good and because of it's position in the drainage path, I am wanting to move it. Any recommendations? Thanks,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| It sounds like it could use some pruning to remove the dead growth. If water is pooling when it rains, then there is a drainage problem unless you got a lot of rain all at once. It probably isn't happy if it is sitting in water for long periods of time; on the other hand, it may be being kept too dry if it is only getting water when it rains. I noticed that my M. figo wants to be moist all the time, but I have it growing in a container. If I let it get too dry, it will drop its leaves and have some dieback. It also sounds like it needs some fertilizer for acid-loving plants like Miracid and some Iron chelate for the leaves. You could move it, but M. figo's resent being transplanted, and it may not survive the transplant. |
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| A lot of the limbs look practically dead, but have leaf buds and flexibility. I can go out every few weeks and just flick the dead parts off. Water will come off the patio, flow around the base of the plant and then drain off down the edge of the flowerbed and out of the backyard. Because of the drainage, the soil around the plant is hard on the surface. I'm not sure how much water is even getting through that top layer. Would fertilizer for azaleas and gardenias work? I'm wondering if it could be getting too much sun, or if the patio heat is a problem. When I read that it is a shrub and can be used like a ligustrum, I couldn't believe it. It simply doesn't have enough leaves. |
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| It does sound like it is not getting enough water. It should receive a good soaking if water is not getting below the surface. You may have to surround it with rocks or dirt or do something to keep the water from running off. The fertilizer for azaleas and gardenias is fertilizer for acid-loving plants and would work fine. Heat shouldn't be a problem, but M. figo's may prefer filtered sun to full sun, but I still wouldn't transplant it for fear of losing it. If it has been in the same place for ten years, it can survive there and probably just needs more water and more attention. |
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