You need to show pictures and tell us where in the world you are growing this. But definitely stop putting vinegar on it. I don’t understand the question about moving it to a large pot.

I live in northern California, zone 9B. The purpose of moving it to a large pot is to be able to move it to full sun. But it is said I could not move it before cure.

Will stop using vinegar.

I put a mirror to reflect sunlight to increase its exposure time to sunlight.

First time using this forum. Pictures are inserted that showing current and before status. Appreciate your advice very much!

looks severely water starved.. take a hand trowel or tablespoon.. and dig a 3 to 6 inch hole.. and FIND OUT if there is any moisture down at the root level ...

drip irrigation is usually entirely deficient on a new transplant.. especially if you didnt soak it in

get rid of the mirror

your plant is severely stressed from lack of water and the transplanting ...

i NEVER transplant anything in august ... and im in z5 ... just too much stress ... and thank god it wasnt in full sun .... or it probably be dead by now ...

ken

I would just say that that is the most oddly growing strawberry tree I have ever seen!! And they are dead common around here.

It does look somewhat (not severely by any means) water stressed so a couple of deep soakings may be appropriate but do test the soil moisture down deep alongside the rootball first to confirm. If the soil is moist, it may just be some lingering transplant shock and root disturbance from the recent transition from pot to ground. If so, it is just a matter of waiting for it to settle into its new home outside of the stress of full summer.

I would also argue that full sun is not a requirement for heathy growth - the plant is very tolerant of part sun or light shade. What precisely is shading your plant in its current location?

I also wonder why Ken feels compelled to respond to posts about plants he has no knowledge of.....Arbutus unedo cannot be grown in MI and won't even last long as a houseplant!!

Just echoing GG on the sun requirement. They're common round here and many are not in full sun .... even when there is sun.

Did you thoroughly soak it on transplant or are you relying on the drip lines? If the latter give it a really good deluge. Apart from being droopy the foliage looks fine. No need for fungicide and definitely not vinegar, which is a herbicide.

They may not need full sun, but 2-3 hours a day is not enough, in my view. Around here, we call that shade!

Should I cover it with a plastic bag to keep moisture on leaves?

I wouldn't. You’d risk molds. Just drench the soil and ensure it stays moist.

This one is outside my doctor’s surgery. Does yours have sufficient space for this potential?

Interesting thread - that is a very strange (and sickly) looking A. unedo. If on the east coast I'd say it looked like it drowned from root rot - but have no idea what is going on in CA.

Just wanted to circle back on the discussion of shade vs. sun. Certainly they are actually somewhat shade tolerant in typical garden settings - the first one I saw in my life was in the dense shade of a Magnolia grandiflora. However, their natural habitats are sunny, and *at least in the relatively humid eastern US and western Europe*...the ones I've seen look better in sunnier aspects. Including my current one, in almost full sun and growing quite vigorously.

Here is what Messrs. Grimshaw et al say: "This is a shade-intolerant tree, characteristic of Mediterranean shrublands such as maquis and macchia, of cliffs and rocky outcrops; where woodland closes in, it tends to die out."

OTOH, in sunny California which is more prune to blistering dry air, except right along the coast, than even much of the Mediterranean basin, maybe they are a little more amenable to shade...just a guess.

I find that almost anything here does fine - even benefits - from protection from our very dry summer heat. Then we get a summer like this one, that is one of the coolest on record, and it's a . different story!

I have about 100 of these plants, lining the very long communal driveway between the entrance and the ranch part of my property. They get full sun, all day long, all year long. Never has one burned, never have I lost one. I always try to replicate (as best I can) the native conditions. Sometimes I have more success than other times...