Well, that sounds right. Only thing I can quibble about is that might be a bit more water then this tree needs in the dormant season...but if that were the problem I would think it wouldn't have looked good when it first leafed out. High soil PH seems unlikely...I've never heard this tree listed as being especially picky about PH, and there are pines nearby...I'd think they would show signs of PH problems first. However, that one is easy to test...do a soil test. It will tell you the exact PH, and might help you figure out what precisely your pines need in the way of fertilizer while you are at it. Nitrogen burn is always a possibility.

I am a bit surprised that any qualified arborist wouldn't recognize a leaf gall Yes - does this party market themselves as a certified professional? One with credentials that can be verified? Or when it gets down to it is this really just another guy with a truck and some saws etc.? Who's in it primarily for the money that can be made from topping, removals and the like? Jive talkers who sell themselves as "arborists" but are actually tree killers looking for big bucks quick are out there. The attraction is that because it's often hard and dangerous work they can make sometimes thousands a day wrecking trees.

Currently: Schefflera elegantissima, formerly: Dizygotheca elegantissima, commonly: false Aralia Hard to say what's wrong from the info offered, and there are several cultural issues that can be made manifest in the symptoms shown; but since it's known the plant tolerates wet feet poorly, I'd make over-watering and/or a soil that holds excessive amounts of water my starting point. If you tell all you can think of about what you do for the plant culturally, you might say something that leads to a moment than ends in 'aha'! Use a "tell" to test the soil for moisture levels and water when the tell comes out dry or nearly so. Something I wrote about using a "tell": Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al

Thanks everyone for the responses. I contacted the seller, but they weren't particularly helpful. Just recommended removing the damaged leaves. Outside of two or three scales and what I think were three whitefly larvae, I haven't seen any other bugs. So it doesn't seem to be infested or anything. I may look into neem oil to prevent things from getting bad. Ken, I appreciate your advice about the sun. I moved it to a spot in my yard that gets more shade. Yeah, we are really close! I chose a fabric pot because I heard good things about air pruning and drainage. I figured whether I got a plastic pot or fabric pot, I'd need a pan underneath to catch water, so I would be able to manage it indoors without making too much of a mess. Did I miss something obvious? Joe, yea, I'm thinking the same thing about it needing water. I've just been hesitant because of everything I've read about overwatering citrus.