davout wrote in message
oups.com...
Earlier this summer I planted a cleared bed with a sambucus racemosa,
about 3 foot tall when purchased.

During the summer a lot of the leaves went brown and dropped off Now it
lookes pretty sickly, with jyst one leaf area left at the top of the
plant.

Can this be rescued? Or do I need to start again?


If you didn't poison the ground to clear it, then the problem is probably
drought. You may think you watered it well, but possibly not enough to
establish a vigorous shrub during the hot, dry summer we've had. Using a
clean blade, carefully scrape away a shallow area of bark. If the exposed
area is green, then your Sambucus still has a chance. If it is brown, then
it has probably had it.

If you are lucky and it's green, fork some bonemeal into the soil around the
shrub, then water really well, then mulch thickly to keep the moisture in
and the frost out. Do not, however, mulch right up to the stem(s) as this
can cause rotting.

Spider