leaf season on silk floss tree

Question

I planted a silk floss tree in south Florida full sun in February taking care to water daily at first. The tree has no leaves at the end of April. When will leaves begin to show?

Answer 1

It should have already begun to show signs of life by now. It should only be watered when the soil is almost completely dry. These are somewhat drought tolerant, and can get fungal infections in wet soil pretty easily.

You can test to see if it is still alive by breaking just the tip off of a branch. If it is brittle, and brown inside, then go down until you find living tissue. If there is none, and the whole tree is brittle, then it is likely dead.

I would treat the area with wettable sulfur and dolomitic lime. This will kill off any infection in the soil, as well as recondition the pH back to a more suitable condition.

After this, you can replant, or wait for the tree to come back if it is still alive.