Question
I have a dwarf weeping cherry willow tree in my front yard that I planted in March or April.  Recently, I've noticed that the leaves are curling and assumed that I haven't been watering it enough.  I live in South Texas and it's been fairly hot, upper 90s and little rain.  After a recent rain, I noticed a few blossoms and new branches/leaves but the older leaves are curled and appear to be dry.  I looked at them closely and do not see any insects.  Even after watering, the leaves are curled.  I have Miracle Gro plant spikes in the ground around the drip line of the tree.  Do I need to take any sort of action or is the tree still adjusting to it's location?

Answer
As long as you are seeing new growth the tree is ok. Water is the main concern in newly planted tree especially willows that need more water than normal. The older leaves that curled will not change much and remain curled until they drop this Fall. A newly planted tree goes through stress the first year so losing some leaves is normal. If it does not rain I would water the tree with 1 inch of water per week-place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. This is called deep watering and will aide the roots to grow better and deeper.. Also if you have not done so mulch around the tree with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk. This will help hold moisture around the roots. Sounds like it is still "adjusting' and will be ok.