I applied a recommended iron mixture =====>>> who recommended it.. they guy who sold it to you ... and who recommended all the nitro.. the guy who sold it to you??? what did your soil test indicate???? i have planted hundreds of trees on my lot.. and NEVER had to fertilize a single one.. someone is selling you a bunch of hooey ... now tell me about that soil test .... ONLY if it was recommended by such ... would iron be requisite.. and tell us about what they are selling you for lawn care... any weed or crabgrass killers??? and how old is this tree... when was it planted... and a pic would sure help.. for us to see what is going on around it.. is it in full sunshine ken

This first sentence is the answer: "If it is really hot, then watering, and spraying the leaves, every day may well be necessary." I'd simply add that you're dealing with transplant shock and that it is very normal under your current conditions for the entire tree to defoliate but to also, come back. It is entirely possible the tree may re-foliate this year even. Or, it may send most of it's energy to the rootball at this time. It's the tree's choice basically. I believe that keeping up on water will keep it alive on both top and bottom. When, or if you notice the buds dying, then expect the birch to sucker and as mentioned above, you'll need to remove any portions that do not re-foliate next spring and select new emerging growth for the style you wish for (clump or single trunk). If you have a cultivar of River Birch, then the new suckers that come up may not be be true to cultivar form but since you did not mention this, I won't assume. And this only applies for grafted trees. Trees produced from cuttings (I'd have to look River Birch propagation up to know for sure) - will produce suckers true to form. Yes, they are produced from cuttings. Dirr and Heuser (2006) confirm this. Dax Dirr, Michael A and Heuser, Charles, Jr. ÂThe Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue CultureÂ; (Second Edition 2006); Varsity Press, Inc. ISBN: 0942375092 or ISBN: 13: 978-0-942375-09-1

Molly, It is fairly common for River Birch and other trees like Tulip Tree to drop some leaves in prolonged hot weather like were having. But if you're watering and the leaves are still turning yellow and falling maybe it is a pest or disease problem. Birch trees do have a problem with borers although River Birch is supposed to be resistant. Do an internet search on bronze birch borers maybe that's what it is.

Yes, that is surely not a fungal problem. Find another "expert", lol! For the record-which BTW I will surely repeat many times, as it just never sinks in....the overwhelming percentage of plant performance problems are environmental, not an insect and not a pathogen. I repeat........blah blah blah......blah blah....blah blah blah blah. There, that surely won't do it! Yet time and time again, everyone immediately makes the erroneous jump to insect/disease. And of course, they want to know what to spray.....or better yet-by which I mean worse still-they come here to tell us how they sprayed some pesticide or other.....and are now seeking input on what might be ailing their tree. Anyone besides me see a problem with this order of things?