Q&A - Why does my new dogwood have brown leaves and look like this?

This is leaf scorch caused by a lack of water getting to the tips of the leaves. UT Extension Agent Celeste Scott says there are many reasons this could be happening including soil conditions and weather conditions. She gives some suggestions about how to help the tree recover.
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[@bamamike1013]

I planted a baby dogwood in April 2023. I had the exact same issue with heavy clay, brown leaves, etc, except I’m in Northern Alabama. I’ve been watering probably 3 gallons/week, if there was no rain. The tree was looking rough so I dug up my toddler dogwood last week of August, to see what was going on with the roots. I dug up about 12 inches of red clay, which seemed semi-moist but down where the root ball started it was completely dried out, no water! I dumped some fish emulsion, along with basic organic fertilizer, 5 gallons of water on top of the root ball, added 2 gallons of compost, and put the clay back on top. I also cut a 3 inch pipe, connected it to the root ball on one end and the other end sticking out of the ground to create a direct watering solution to the root ball. 2 weeks later, the tree has seemed to perk up, plus now I know the tree roots will be getting water. I did the same thing 3 years ago with my mini-magnolia and it is living strong.