Sambucus 'Racemosa' Sutherland Gold

[jb1982]

I have a problem with my Sambucus, it seems to be wilting badly, to the point where I think it may be dead. It's one year old, the ground is well watered. The only potential problem that may have caused this could have been greenfly eggs that I managed to remove a week or so ago with some spray. Otherwise I dont know how this had happened.

Is it dead or dying and can it be revived?? If so, how?

Thanks in advance.

[Tig]

I doubt it is anything to do with the greenfly - what did you use to spray it?
Where is it planted? It could be that it is suffering from too much midday sun, they seem to like a cooler position in the garden

[jb1982]

I used a general insect/bug killer. It isn't planted in a place that is in long periods of sustained sunlight. It was wilting before I sprayed it.

Is cutting it a good idea?

[Geranium]

I'm not sure that would help, jb1982. It does sound like a root problem to me. Could it be vine weevil? Can you dig it up and pot it and see if there are any? 

[jb1982]

The plant is growing next to some Equisetum! Could this be the problem. There shouldn't be any weeds near the plant. It is growing under a membrane with slate clippings on!!

Thanks guys by the way!!

[Tig]

Did you tease the roots out when you planted it in the ground jb1982? It could be that if the original plant was in its container for some time it was pot bound and I have found that some specimens don't send out new roots easily without some help, they remain in the congested rootball and don't take up enough water. I would be inclined to do as Geranium suggests in digging it up and checking it's root system has started to develop properly. Just give it a gentle tug when you remove the chippings and membrane and see if it has locked itself into the surrounding soil.

[jb1982]

Thanks for that. I'm gonna try digging it up tonight and re plant it. And also check the roots. Etc. hopefully it'll recover.

[Geranium]

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[jb1982]

I've dug up and replanted in the same spot. Half of the plant was actually dead. Roots looked as though they'd spread outside the original rootball. Time will tell I guess.

I'll keep you all posted.

[jb1982]

I'm afraid a life has been lost, but I plan to replenish the space it occupied with another plant. R.I.P Sambucus Plant.

Any ideas what plant I could replace it with? Something colourful which is hardy and annual? I've got about 2-3 sq metres of space to fill, plenty of sun in the summer.

Thanks.

[Geranium]

Errr - the words 'hardy' and 'annual' don't match,  jb1982- do you mean a colourful shrub, or perennial plants? Annual plants are just that - there for one year, like bedding plants.

You could plant a Pyracantha, which is evergreen, flowers around now then produces lovely red or orange berries in the  autumn. You'd have space in front of it for some perennials.  Plenty of different ones to choose from! Try Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'  plants with hardy Geraniums such as 'Lilac Haze' or 'Johnson's Blue' in front of them.  Long flowering, both of them.

[Tig]

If you decide on a hardy geranium I love Patricia, once it starts flowering mine never stops until the frosts www.gardenersworld.com/plants/geranium-patricia/1813.html

If you would like a dark leaved shrub behind it with pretty cream clusters of flowers you could opt for physocarputs opulifolius Diabolo - it says it throws up suckers but mine had been in for several years and is well behaved www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1456

Depends where you live and what your soil is like to what will do well for you, or too well

[jb1982]

I have a very heavy clay soil. Which I have enriched with a lot of compost and sulphate of iron to help with PH levels.

Thanks Geranium. I meant perennial. Still getting to grips with the terminology.