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I am in Canada. The diswasher soap that was sprayed was Dawn.
There
is very little sunlight here during winter hence the grow
light. The
question is what is causing the leaves to burn and turn brown
and even
black? Thanks.

I try not to get into serissa (or indoor) questions, but . . .

First, what proportions of soap and water did you use? The
normal preparation for a soap spray is one tablespoon per GALLON
of water, which isn't much. If it was much more than that, you
probably left a lot of soap in the soil and it may be having a
toxic reaction with the tree's roots. Serissa are SO DARNED
SENSITIVE! They need to get a life!

I recall you saying you watered every 3-4 days. That sounds
pretty good, but do you check the soil before you water? It
should be barely damp to the touch, or even dry. Your
description of brown-turning-black leaves is typical of a root
problem, and the most common root problem is too much water and
rotted roots.

What kind of soil is it in? And, oh yes, are there rocks glued
onto the top of the soil?

As the tree is probably leafless now, it will want less water
since it no longer is transpiring through the leaves.

_I_ would lift the tree from its pot and take a close look at the
roots. They should be yellow-brown and firm, not black and
soggy-crumbly.

Others have already told you that Serissa lose their leaves when
you even look cross-eyed at them, but this sounds more serious;
usually the leaves just turn yellow and drop off. Then they
immediately (almost) resprout.

Good luck.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Only where
people have learned to appreciate and cherish the landscape and
its living cover will they treat it with the care and respect it
should have - Paul Bigelow Sears.

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