Q: I have a magnolia tree in the backyard that is about 9 years old. It is very tall and seems to be in fair condition but hasn't bloomed. It is facing the east side and I do use the tree and shrub stakes. We do have water restrictions, but I do use a tree ring for watering. Can you suggest anything? Also, when do you prune Magnolias?

A: Magnolias and other spring blooming trees are usually grafted to ensure that the buyer is getting a particular variety of tree. Grafted trees usually bloom sooner than trees grown from seeds. Is it possible your tree was started as a seedling — as a school project perhaps?

I have a grafted magnolia. The top portion died and the root system sent up a new trunk that took more than 10 years to bloom just a few pathetic flowers. Maybe the original top died on yours as well. When it does bloom, check the flowers to see if they are what you wanted. Mine were supposed to be bright yellow and all I got after a decade of waiting was a dull white flower.

Are the tree stakes you are using designed for flowering trees? The fertilizer in the stakes should not have a high nitrogen level. The first of the three numbers on the package should be half or less of the either of the other two numbers such as a 10:20:20 or 10:20:15. If the first number is higher, the fertilizer is promoting the tall growing trunk and leaves at the expense of promoting flowering. If the wrong fertilizer has been used, switch, but don't overdo fertilizing.

Keeping the soil around the tree damp during the hottest and driest time of year can help the tree set flower buds. If the tree dries out too much it may not produce flower buds in order to try to stay alive.

Magnolia flower buds are set at the end of the branch in the fall proceeding the spring they will bloom. Any pruning done over the fall or winter will cut off flower buds. The flower buds are usually much larger than the leaf buds, so they should be easy to spot. Prune magnolias in the month or so after they bloom or at that time, if they didn't bloom.

Many magnolia species have flower buds that are more sensitive to frost or cold snaps than the leaf buds. If the tree has flower buds, but they don't open, they may have died due to cold. They can also die due to a tiny insect called a thrip. It sucks the sap out of the flower buds, killing them. They are so small they can go unnoticed, unless you look for them. Take any dead or dying flower buds to your local extension office to see if thrips can be diagnosed.

It is sad to cut down a healthy tree. But if you are using the right fertilizer, watering and pruning correctly, and there are no flower buds for frost or insects to damage, then it may be time to start over with a better tree. Check the trees at the nursery for one that already has flower buds or has seedpods visible, so you know that it is of a blooming age.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.