I have planted an elderberry serum, it was doing very well but has now begun to droop. I have watered it as needed. Any advise
More details about the operation needed. For instance how long has it been growing where it is now? As in how long has it been since its roots were last disturbed significantly?
Yes more info please - is this the wild tall shrub w red berries? Well the white flowers just finished and soon berries that ripen to red Birds love it! Every one of these I’ve had (and keep for the birds) has been a volunteer resulting very likely fr fruit seeds in bird droppings
That should be elderberry shrub! I bought it this spring from a nursery for all the reasons people comment on here - birds, shape lovely greenery. I planted it in April, and it grew well, putting on growth in stems and leaves. I watered it after a couple of days of warm weather ( I am on Vancouver Island.) now it is very sad, just drooping. I am sad as well.
You probably just aren't watering it enough, it was only planted last month, will still be dependent on the potting soil being kept moist. And may remain largely so for much, if not most of the remaining season - at this point there likely won't be a big push of root growth into the surrounding soil until its top growth stops late summer-early fall.
How about a very diluted solution using that transplanter fertilizer 5-15-5 I now make a habit of planting at the coast in October once the monsoons start so I haven’t used it on a while I remember Fine Gardening magazine (publish by Taunton ) had an article about comparing street trees planted with and without I think it was fr a Univ in USA ... I bet there’s data online Anyway - be careful and if you do fertilize - then only gently fertilize because it’s already stressed and also it’s thirsty . Also remember that its leaves are very tender (like lettuce ) as compared to strong leaves like salal (that said I managed to dry out salal already this spring ... darn !) — so my point is that I think tender leaves show a droop right away - as opposed to boxwood for example . Drip a hose -and I mean drip- not run the water - on root area overnight and see how it feels in the morning (no aspirin tho!)
It probably doesn't make any difference in identifying or solving your elderberry shrub's problem but I wonder which Sambucus species it actually is. I can't find anything called elderberry serum or Sambucus serum. Our native BC elderberry is Sambucus racemosa (with 3 subspecies). From what I read, all elderberries like moisture so I agree with advice you've already received to provide more.
How about a very diluted solution using that transplanter fertilizer 5-15-5 A nitrogen fertilizer is adequate for transplanting landscape plants; avoid use of “transplant fertilizers” that contain phosphate https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/vitamin-b1.pdf Our native BC elderberry is Sambucus racemosa (with 3 subspecies) They're vars rather than subsp., and if you include var. microbotrys reaching Clark Co, ID there's 4 of them in our part of the species' range
I would suggest getting yourself a chipper rent, buy or borrow one put down a heavy mulch all around the plant all the way out to the frost line try to chip up any kind of leaf littered wood weeds small branches particularly and place about 6 to 10 inches and your plant will begin to thrive if you can’t get chips in this way the next best thing is fir bark mulch .
