Move it after the leaves fall off. Take as large a root ball as you can - magnolias have brittle, fleshy roots that resent disturbing, so baby the tree after moving - water it well, mulch well, etc. Keep watering until just before the ground is likely to freeze, as the soil is dry in the root ball. Mulch as widely as possible, no deeper than 4", and put no mulch in the couple of inches at the trunk.

As I recall, the mature height x width of 'Jane' is about 12-15' x 6-8', so allow enough room in the new spot as I doubt you can move it again, from the sheer size if nothing else!

That is different than what I do up north here. Many of us find it is better to move the tree, shrub, perennial, in early Sept, before the leaves or foliage dies back. With foliage on, whatever you move, had leaves to make food until it gets cold. Leaves on is supposed to be more helpful to the roots by feeding them, and the roots will continue to grow until the ground freezes. That is usually late Nov or so. Sometimes freezes much later, near Christmas.

We make sure the moved item is watered regular, but the rainy season usually starts in late Sept, so they often need no extra watering. Mulch around it, a good layer, but keep the mulch off the stems.

Often a newly moved plant, bush, shrub, will lose leaves a little earlier than others like it, without that being a problem. Mine leaf out fine in spring and we go from there.

I have the best luck moving things, putting in new things, in Sept thru early Oct. Plants seem to like it, do well the next year. I do feel silly sometimes out watering in Nov, if we aren't getting much rain. Spring transplants can do well, I usually just have too many other things going then.

I would agree with being careful around the roots, they break easy. Get some help moving a big rootball, they get really heavy, and you are trying to be careful, turns job into hard work.

Just planted a new magnolia jane tree. The leaves are turning yellow and some look brownish. Please tell me this tree is going to live as I am the only one in my area that has one. I live in Michigan zone 5.
Thx in advance
Tammy

I too would move a deciduous magnolia before leaf drop rather than after, in late summer-early fall. Or wait until end of winter. I would not cut the roots just before winter and then leave it sitting there with cut roots all winter.

The Kosar and De Vos magnolia hybrids (including 'Jane') get pretty big over time, when doing well. There really are very few magnolias that remain what many people would consider to be "small" within the context of home gardening on modern small lots - where rather often a "big tree" is described as one 15' tall!

Here is a link that might be useful: The U.S. National Arboretum presents eight hybrid magnolia cultivars affectionately known as ''The Girls.''

I am in Indianaplois area (zone 6). My Jane Magnolia is about 3 years old and 4 feet tall. The last few days have seen the temperaturs climbing to 80s and 90s for the first time in this summer. I have turned on my lawn sprinklers. The tree is in the middle of the lawn getting plenty of water from the sprinklers. All of a sudden the leaves are turning yellow and falling off, even in young branchee, mostly in the central part of the tree. I examined the leaves and the branches, and no spots on the leaves or on the branches. What could possible be the reason? What should I do? Thanks in advance.