Sounds like too much water. If the tree only doesn't have many leaves. Watering twice a week maybe too much.

You should pull the tree out of the pot and check the root system. I suspect the root rot. If that's the case, then remove as least 1/3 to 1/2 of the old soil and rotten roots. Plant in the same pot with Al's 5:1:1 mix. After repot, only give the plant indirect light for about two weeks.

Do you know how to post pictures here?

Mike

Hi Yellowthumb:-)

Thank you both. Transferred to a 24x36" size pot. I put 2" of pebbles on the botton of pot for drainage and fill the pot with miracle grow potting mix. The root is dry. Just bought a 7 feet Michelia maudiae last night:), hopefully this one is easier to grow.

Mike, I don't know how to post the picture yet, will look into it tonight.

Thanks,
Melissa

Melissa:

What were you growing your tree in before you transferred it into a bigger planter? How big was that pot?

Just let me know if you want to learn how to post pictures.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Before was in a 5 gallon plastic pot.

Yes, would you mind showing me how to post pictures? Thanks.

Melissa

Let me know when you have your photos in photo bucket, ok?

Mike

Mike, I have my photos uploaded and saved on my desktop. Hmmmm....i don't see photo bucket in this site.

I tried to follow instructions below, but couldn't locate my browser.

1. Type your forum message and select preview.
2. Select Browse button to locate and add the image file on your computer.
3. Submit the message and image file.

Hi Mike,
It would be nice for you to see my michelia plant. Then you can get an idea what is wrong with it. I did see a little bug or spider on the new leaves and It look like one of the flower bulb got eaten.

Another mystery to this plant is, you know the little bulb where the flower finished blooming, it falls out when touched. Here is my email: yangcenter-melissa@yahoo.com/ if you don't mind emailing me, then I can attach a photo.

Thanks so much,
Melissa

Hey Melissa.

Let's try this first.

Go to

www.photobucket.com

Then join for free. You will be able to upload photos for free and use that host site to post pictures here. I would LOVE to see your tree!

If you have a problem, free to e-mail me, e-mail address attached to my screen name here:-0)

Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for the site. Uploaded few pics there. Have a nice weekend.

I have a Michelia Alba tree gow in my backyard in San Francisco for almost 25 years and it is about 25 feet tall. Each year it blooms a lot of fragan flowers. On June 2011 I airlayered the tree on some of the branches. Guess what on July 2012 I discovered the roots were coming out. I am so happy!!!!

Airlaying sucessful on my michelia alba tree in my backyard in San Francisco. I grow that tree about 30 years ago and about 25 feet tall and have a lof of very fragant flowers. I airlayering on June 2011 and discovered the roots were forming on July 16 2012.

I'm so jealous of your tree!... I just got my first small alba this spring and I don't think I could risk planting it in the ground for at least 5 years or maybe more!Anyway I prefer it on my balcony for the time being..I have a question though; when I got it, its leaves were very pale -like butter almost- and really droopy, now I have it for about a month and a half on a northwest balcony that gets morning and evening sun which helped green only the veins though and so a couple of days ago I treated once with iron chelate and acid fertilizer (granular).. I think today the newest leaves responded and the green became more dark and uniform now.. Can you advise me how often I need to do this to avoid stressing it w/ either too much care or too scarce?Is it like a gardenia for example,or which plant do you compare it with when it comes to caring for it?? I suspect the plant responds rather slowly and I have no clue about michelias yet.. thanks in advance

Hi Michelia Mickey - Congratulation!! That is fantastic! Now I will have to try air layering. Thanks for posting the pictures, as this gives me hope.

Kasie

To Kasie: Here is my Michelia Alba tree that I grow in my backyard in San Francisco for almost 30 years. It is about 25 feet tall. Each year it blooming a lot of very fragant flowers. Yes, I am so luck that I am sucessful on airlayering my michelia alba tree. Years ago, I did try to airlayering some michelia abla, but were not sucessful. Hope this time it will glow after I transplant them into the pots. Wish me luck!!!! Enjoy.

Hi Mickey - Congratulation!!!!!!!That's awesome. What a giant Michelia you have. I wouldn't be patient like you waiting more than a year for the air layering. Hope your little Michelia will grow well and give you lots of flowers one day.

I know that I am so luck that I can grow our Michelia Alba tree in our bcakyard for more than 30 years in San Francisco. But when I first got it, I nursed it just like a little new borned baby. At that time in the morning and day time, I caiired the pot michelia alba to the yard to get sun light, then at nighttime I got it back to the covered area for the night. I had been doing that for almost one year before the tree was transplant to the ground. Here is the picture on that tree that I transplanted to the ground about 25 years ago. It is in the same location of the big michelia alba tree.

this before/after is the best!!

Michelia Mickey - Your neighbors must love you for sharing the wonderful fragrance from your yard with them. And your TLC of caring for it in the first year with you is touching. And look how happy it is now...so BIG!! Happy growing.

Kasie

Those are the very big and fragrant michelia alba flowers from my backyard in San Francisco.

Those are the very big and fragrant michelia alba flowers from my backyard in San Francisco. I forgot to post the picture, sorry.

I love it when the blossom looks like that. One alone smell fabulous...but 3...heavenly!! Thank you for sharing Mickey.

Kasie

Here is a link to myu video on my garden with my michelia alba grow in San Francisco almost 39 years and about 39 feet tall. This the way I airlayering my michelia alba. enjoy!

http://youtu.be/RN5rfc_8wN4

Here is a video on how I airlayerring my michelia albra tree. Hope you can understand what I am saying on the video. Good luck!

http://youtu.be/vqDsJ9ket84

Here is the link to my michelia alba album. Enjoy!

http://s1060.photobucket.com/albums/t459/MickeytheKwok/Michelia%20Alba/

I airlayered my michelia abla last year and it rooted on July this year. I am so happy to see that I successfully airlayering my michelia alba. But this month of Aug, I transplanted the airlayering branch into a pot. I notice that the top two branches turned to brown, but the bottom braches are still green. Hope it is not dying. Any suggestion on how th save the michelia? Thank you. See the picture below on the michelia abla.

This is the air-layered M. Alba on about 2 years back. Now it is in a pot and growing. The one in the pot on the right is not growing.