Yellow Bird Magnolia Buds Limp and Falling Off

Question From: M. KURPIEL - ARIZONA
Q: My beuatiful 6 year old Yellow Bird Magnolia after years of plentiful full gorgeous flowers looks like it's dying:( I noticed 2 deep lesions/cuts in the trunk!..certainly not mower/strimmer damage) The buds were about to flower but were stunted and they did not produce but fell off and the leaves are limp though still green in colorIit appears that the lowest branch has completely died.What is going on.There is a 1Meter laurel bush planted very near to the Yellow Bird(it has grown in the last year...can this be damaging /killing my Magnolia)?Desperate to save it....Can you help. ps it received the usual dose of fertilizer more than a week ago along with all the other genus of Magnolias in the garden(20 in total) which are doing Really Well.I am writing from Poland (zip code was just to be able to speak to you)

A: Merek, I recommend you enlist the services of a tree doctor, a certified arborist, to do an on-site inspection ASAP. There may be several problems and if you only address the obvious or if an unseen diagnosis is wrong, you will surely loose your lovely tree. Good Luck, Nancy.