Question
Jim,

I have a Chinese Pistache tree in my back yard that is looking kind of droopy and yellow, but hasn't lost any leaves yet.  I wasn't sure what was causing it and was curious if you might know if I told you the current conditions.    
South Central Kansas experienced an unusually warm month of March, which caused a lot of plants to break dormancy earlier than usual, including my young Chinese Pistache tree.   Now the month of April has proven to be a little bit cooler with temperatures dropping down to the low 50抯 at night.  We have also had quite a bit of rain the past week, so the sky has been over cast quite a bit.  When it does rain heavily, the rain water tends to flow down around the mulch pile that is around the Pistache tree before flowing on down the hill.  I stuck my finger in the soil next to the tree, and it does not feel boggy or really damp, although it is moist.  My finger will have soil stuck to it when I pull it out, but it is not muddy at all.  
There isn't any sign of insect or mechanical damage to the tree, and I have not sprayed the tree with any chemicals either.  
I know I don't have a photo, but based on the description above, would you have any idea what is making the foliage look droopy or yellow?  
I thought that maybe the tree broke dormancy too early and now the cooler weather is making it look yellow and droopy. If this is the case, I assume it will recover once the temperature gets warmer, but I just wanted an opinion from an expert.  Please let me know what you think.

Thank you,
Tim

Answer
I think it is a combination of the excess water and the early spring. We have maples here that are half leafed out due to the early spring and then turning cooler. Excess water will cause the foliage to wilt just like a drought condition. I would just wait and see --it should recover on its own. IF the foliage is still a pale color in mid summer I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. If you apply the fertilizer just before a rain storm you will not need to water. This will increase the health of the root system and the foliage.