You shouldn't use any fertilizer or iron unless your tree is showing new growth. The spray from the nursery could have been antitranspirant. Where was the tree for those 3 days? Maybe it dried out.

I didn't use any fertilizer. I gave it a light foliar spray with some iron when it became obvious that it was on the way out. Clearly didn't help it but it didn't hurt it either.

It was outside on my patio underneath a small palm to keep it from receiving direct/intense sunlight. Temps were in the 60s-70s all weekend. It was watered with rain water from a 55 gallon drum that I use for all of my trees. I just don't understand.

it sounds like you have it inside and are watering it everyday ?
it may be root-rot.
if the soil is moist, i would increase the sunlight
over a 3 or 4 day period till it gets full sun.
and dont water it, let it dry out.

what type of soil is it in ?
it may be holding a lot of water if it is high in organics
and not draining properly.

they like full sun, and are pretty drought tolerant.

i have several that are between 1 and 3ft tall
they seem to like full sun even when small
and dont mind drying out for several days at a time
they dont seem to like soggy soil at all...

Up until yesterday it's been outside since it arrived. Not in full sun yet, but filtered sun so it can acclimate and overcome transplant shock before moving it into full sun. I only brought it in yesterday because the wind kicked up and I knew it wouldn't be able to handle it.

It's not root rot.. remember, I've only had it for a couple of days. It's in a clay pot about an inch bigger than the rootball. The soil was dry upon arrival so I really think the last thing it needed was water withheld. It hasn't had the time or the conditions to rot. I didn't water it yesterday because the soil was still damp.. basically, it got water Friday and Saturday. I have a meter that I always use to check the moisture level at the bottom layer of all my potted trees before watering any of them.

Emmy, sorry to see that your lychee is going through this ... I think it might have been traumatized through the shipping and all and then upon arriving it has to acclimatize to your weather there. 60's and 70's though should be quite a pleasant temperature for it. I think the plant might have some disease before it came to you and that's why all the spraying--wondering what they sprayed on it.

I think you were doing the right thing to trim it down. With all the dead leaves or unhealthy parts all gone, it will rejuvenate the plant and give it a chance to grow again. I had to trim down my emperor lychee drastically when it dried up. It was my fault--I did not remember to give it an irrigation when I left for my trip last Summer. After the trim, the new growth slowly emerged and now at a height of 2.5 ft, it's even trying to send out some blooms I think. I'll post a picture of it when I get a chance to so later.

So, hang in there and give it some time to get around. You're right to go slow with the ferts. They are overly sensitive and less is always more for lychees. Also, I don't know if the pot has a dish drainer at the bottom. If so, removing it may be helpful for it to dry up quicker after watering. I do hope to see it flourish again for you. I think it's going to grow to be a beautiful and good size plant for you. Keep us updated of how it's doing.

This post was edited by bananafan on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 12:02

As promised, here's a couple of Emperor lychee pictures taken this afternoon. It dried out last Summer and was almost dead.

This post was edited by bananafan on Tue, Jan 27, 15 at 17:37

I spotted a tiny bloom there.

Bananafan you're awesome! I've been crushed about my poor little lychee but you've really lifted my spirits.. can't thank you enough :)

You're welcome sweetie :) I can identify those feelings myself.

If you're concerned about those white specks, they're mealy bugs I think. My Biew Kiew longan was heavily infested with it and I sprayed alcohol on it and cleaned it out as much as I could. It's was a tedious job. You don't have a lot on yours, so the cleaning should go fast. Also, it looks like your lychee has a healthy stem and nice healthy branches there. They should sprout new leaves for you soon. Do post again when you see some results. All the best to your new lychee!

This is what I think.

My air layered lychees that died in the pot looked very similar to yours. In three or four days after potting the leaves would curl and turn brown. Why, because I was too rough. I would carefully pack soil around the root ball but then carelessly let the branch rotate relative to the pot when I moved and covered it. The problem was the delicate young roots were being torn from the branch. Oops!

Young Lychee roots are a lot like orchid roots and very fragile. It only takes a few degree rotation of the potted branch to do fatal damage.

If you did damage the roots, there may be a few remaining good roots from which the plant will recover. However the remaining good roots will lack the capacity to provide the needed moisture to hydrate all the leaves.

To help with this situation when air layering, I sometimes prune the branch of half it's foliage. Then I cover the plant with a clear plastic bag to increase the humidity and thus reduce evaporative loss. Finally, I keep my newly potted air-layers in a bright but shaded location and introduce them to direct sunlight only after the first flush.

Oh, and be sure to immobilize the branches whatever you do.

I hope this helps.

I think bananafanarama had it right.

I would add that having the rootball fall apart is always a huge setback,if not fatal. The foliage cant help look terrible on few roots.

The best thing now is fresh air,warm temps,never let go dry. Sort of ER care for plants. You might even try a heating mat under it to promote root growth.