Question
My globe willow has been dropping leaves like crazy here at the end of July.  We have been and are still in a drought, but I try to keep a drip on it every so often.  I cropped off a lot of dead branches this spring because one side seemed to be dying.  I fertilized it good this spring and it looked great until about mid June.  My local nursery man told me to water the hound out of it.  Any other suggestions?  The leaves are dropping from all over everywhere, not just in one spot.  The leaves have brown edges and spots on them.
Thanks for any help.

Answer
It sounds like it is not getting enough water. Willow trees need more water than other tree species. The sprinkler system for lawns usually does not apply enough water for trees. And a drip line is less than that. Trees need 1-2 inches of water per week. I would water with 1 inch of water--place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. Do this every third day for a month then once a week. when the weather cools or you start getting regular rain I would stop the watering. I think it is a combination of heat and not getting enough water.