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Sambucus madonna suffering die back ?

garybridgergarybridger Posts: 8
in Problem solving
I bout this in a local garden centre as I looked good to grow although struggling. I hoped it would flourish. I started to give more leave and now it's looking very sad and dying back
Any advice on getting it to recover? 

Posts

  • garybridgergarybridger Posts: 8

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    It looks as if it's been in that pot for a long time. I think I would take it out, gently remove the moss and stuff that's growing on the top and any loose compost that comes away easily, tease out the roots a bit if it's pot bound, and repot it with some nice fresh compost (slightly deeper than it is - it looks a bit proud of the surface). JI No 2 or 3 formulation (which contains some loam) would be good if you have it. If it's pot bound, use a bigger pot but if there's not a lot of root and some of the old compost falls away you can put it back in the same size. Then see what happens. Any branch that doesn't produce any leaves is probably dead and could be pruned off, but it won't hurt to wait a while and give it a chance.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    That looks as if it has had no care at all and I think it is on its way out. You could try all the things mentioned, but if it were mine, I would bin it.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I think you may be able to revive it.
    As said above - get all that green moss and liverwort off the top - that will be rotting the old stems.
    The moss and liverwort also indicate it's been too wet for quite a long time.
    Re-pot it and cut off all the stems.
    They're tough plants and so long as the roots are still ok, it should send up new stems from under the compost.
    Keep it somewhere sheltered and out of direct sun and hope some new growth appears.
    Only water when the compost looks dry on the top.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Pete.8 said:
    ...
    Only water when the compost looks dry on the top.
    Be careful about this. Some peat-free composts can look dry on top but still be quite moist underneath (others drain like a sieve and don't seem to hold any moisture at all). It's best to judge by how heavy the pot is, or by sticking your finger in and seeing if it's damp at the depth of the first knuckle or thereabouts.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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