Tree not growing

Albertfalcor

Hi everyone, grateful for any advice you can offer.

3 years ago we purchased a magnolia grandiflora from a local tree care company. Unfortunately all it has ever done is to grow upwards and has never filled out, we have a few twigs on a long trunk with a spattering of leaves. The tree has established but not grown in a manner you would expect.

The company admit it was apparently always going to have a higher crown but I have pointed out that this was not told to us at the time and nor would it have ever been satisfactory as it would have failed to obscure the view we wish to obscure. They also said to me that any tree is going to have a tall trunk and nothing would ever grow low enough. (To which I said perhaps then they should never have suggested anything and that we should just have a full refund in that case).

Now I am asking them to replace the tree free of charge but they are refusing saying I have waited too long and that they offer no guarantee about the establishment of trees. I don't dispute it's established but its not grown as you would expect a tree of this type and its not doing the job we asked.

What do you guys think? It seems wrong to me to have to pay for a new tree again...??

piglet25

Its pot luck with trees, some just die for no reason, some grow like wildfire, some get taller and other get bushy, I would buy a tree of a different variety and give up on the garden centre as three years is too long for a wrong shaped tree.

meer53

Unfortunately, trees don't grow to order. I agree with piglet25, time to buy another tree.

elsien

Have you considered that the problem might be that the area/conditions where the tree is planted might not be suitable? How much research did you do before buying?

Edit - my mum had a magnolia that sat sulking in her garden for about 4 years not doing anything. So she dug it up and gave it to her sister. Where it took off like a rocket and has flowered beautifully ever since.

arcon5

Lol this can't be serious?

bris

Give it another 30 years, trees take time, 3 years it's still just a twig and will be for another 5 at least.

You don't get instant trees.

Hintza

Have you asked for a refund on any of your children for not being tall enough, bright enough, sporty enough, good looking enough?

Coopdivi

Maybe you should ask for tips on growing magnolias on the Greenfingered Money Saving board.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=134

Either that or sue Nature.

Money-Saving-King

I cannot believe somebody seriously thinks they have the right or potential right to get a refund on a tree after 3 years!

pinkshoes

Nature doesn't grow to order, so all you can do is try moving it to a different location, or just choosing something else.

You can buy more established trees, but obviously they cost much more...

Albertfalcor

Sorry maybe so didnt explain it right, we asked the company to recommend us a tree for this specific location, it had to have low branches in order to achieve what was required...

They are saying that it was never going to grow low now because it is growing upwards to try and reach the light.

So they recommended a tree to do a job it isn't possible to do.

As for waiting 3 years, well you have to give it time to establish and see how it's going to grow surely? And bearing in mind we were told it would be very different we kept waiting for it to do what they told us it would.

We bought a well established tree already which cost in the region of £300, it not dying its living and growing but all it does it grow upwards with a handful of leaves because of the location it is which they have admitted is the wrong location.