I know this post is a couple of years old, but if you're like me ...trying to learn about newly planted tree's that are struggling...I figured I'd continue this conversation if it helps anyone else! I planted a 2" caliper/ 10 ft tall Profusion crabapple at the end of April (purchased at a reputable nursery. I, too, watched it quickly decline. All the beautiful flowers dried up and fell off, and 90% of its leaves turned brown and crispy and have since fallen off. My only hope was that the branches- when scratched were still green. So I diligently have been soaking it and caring for it when needed. Lo and behold..just the other day I noticed all kinds of new, healthy leaf buds sprouting on all the branches- a month and a half later! Moral of the story is, don't give up hope- With special attention, you can keep a "dying" tree going. I am still conscerned and will watch my tree closely- as the hot summer months have only begun and whatever killed off my previous leaves still may lurk (whether it was a disease of some sort or transplant shock- I'll never know.) I havn't given up yet!

Now that I have learned to grow citrus with no problems I have 3 Poncirus trifoliata of grafting size and 4 sweetlee tangerine trees of vigor that will be graft-able next spring. That's 7 root-stocks that I can graft my twigs from the grafted tree I can purchase. My purchased tree will grow faster by waiting a year and will out grow anything I bought a year earlier. My decision is to not buy a grafted tree and to grow what I have. If it fruits, great If they don't. Well we'll see My from seed Nagami kumquat for grafting to poncirus trifoliata Seed grown Meiwa kumquat tree. The tree fruit I am interested in. To be grafted on to the poncirus trifoliata moots through the Nagami inter-stock. May also go directly to my sweetlee tangerine tree root-stock, Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #1 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #2 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #3 Seed grown sweetlee tangerine tree for root-stock #4 Seed grown poncirus trifoliata to be grafted on Is posted above . Its in a blue 55 gallon half drum. This completes what I have done and what I have. If I think of anything I'll add on to this thread Steve This post was edited by poncirusguy on Tue, Nov 5, 13 at 18:29

Give it consistent water and it should come back. For those who live in hot/dry climates I would recommend moving the tree into a spot with less sun to help prevent it from drying out. However, this may not be necessary in cool and humid climates. The fact that your tree turned all brown after only week and a half leads me to suspect the climate conditions where you are might have been a little drier or more hot and sunny than usual. One option, if you think it is probably going to be another few months before you are ready to plant the tree, is to simply move the tree to a slightly larger container. This would allow a little more space for the roots to grow, and be able to provide more water to the tree. This is not an immediate fix, however; it will take a few weeks for the roots to grow out, and whenever you replant a tree there can be a little transplant shock, so it would probably be better not to move unless it is not going to go into the ground for another few months. Also, although it needs consistent water, do not completely drown the tree either. If the roots are continually sitting in water, that is not good for the tree either. Ideally the soil should be kept fairly moist. When the tree has recovered, you do not have to keep the soil constantly moist any longer, indeed it is probably a good idea not to, to give the tree a short timespan of a few days where the soil is dry periodically. This can help avoid root rot, and help the roots go deeper so the young tree will not become as dependent on frequent watering. Since it is so late into the growing season right now, if the tree does put out new leaves this year, you might want to give the tree a little shelter in early winter to try to extend the growing season a little. It would be a little pointless for the tree to put out new foliage, only to have it die back in the winter 2 months later. Personally, I would not expect the tree to make any dramatic comeback until next Spring.

If the stems were dried up that far, you will probably be ok provided you dry them down carefully so they don't mold. Alternatively you can drop the seed heads where you were planning to plant them and probably get some germination. The allium seed in general does not have too many fine points to worry about. :-)