Does anybody know how to save this shrub?

[GinGeum]

It's the only shrub left standing after our mass cull last Autumn, and I thought it would do so much better without all the surrounding competition, but now it looks like its dying!

We moved in last year and I would hazard a guess that it hadn't been pruned for a long, long time before us, so is it maybe just in need of a heavy prune?

It had a hawthorn growing in the centre of it which I removed a few months ago, and it seems to have got worse since then.

Any ideas how to bring it back to life? Is a hard prune a good idea, or does it need doing more gradually over time?

It gets a lot more sun on one side than the other, but it didn't seem so bare on the shadier side up until recently.

Actually, the mass cull was in February, not last Autumn (if that makes any difference!)

This is a close up of the leaf/flower if that's helpful. I think it's a skimmia maybe.

Maybe give it a feed? Also how dry is your soil at the moment? We're in the north but garden is still bone dry so there are a few things I'm having to water every day already. It's also possible there's been a bit of root damage if you took something out of the middle.

Yes, soil is bone dry here too. I have half heartedly sprayed a bit of water underneath when watering the rest of the garden, but probably not enough to do any good. Will shovelling some manure under it be any good?

You could dig in a bit of manure/compost a couple of inches deep and then give a good water and feed. Really can't believe how dry it is atm! We've set up a water butt to take the edge off the water bills but unfortunately there's been almost no rain in April. I'm worried about what it'll be like by July/August

Maybe thin out some of the straggly branches? I wouldn't put mulch onto very dry soil, wait until we've had lots of rain.

It needs a really good soak then mulch with manure, keeping it away from the trunk/stems.
My garden's so dry even the roses are flagging and the water butt hasn't been filled by rain for weeks.

I'll give it a good soak this evening. I can't believe how dry it is! I feel like I'm going to be sick to the back teeth of daily watering by the time we get into the full swing of summer...

Is it actually growing, I.e. Do you have new shoots ? I would feed as suggested then give a good mulching around the base and step up the watering.

Steve

Personally I would start again. You may be able to nurse it back to health with selective pruning of the tattiest bits, and gentle feeding, and PATIENCE but it won't be quick and there's no guarantee you will end up with a pleasing result

It looks like it was affected by the hard frost a couple of weeks ago.

Prune out the burned looking bits, water it once or twice and I'm sure it will manage on its own.

I've had a good look at it today, and if it wasn't dead already, I think I've given it a helping hand. Whoops. I started cutting out the burnt looking bits, but most of the branches were bare wood with a bit of green on the end. Half of it has been cut right down, which was probably a bit harsh. There was also loads of ivy tangled around the base of the plant which I've pulled away.

There is new growth, so I've left those bits, but I'm not sure if it will come back to life.

If you are feeling brave you can cut 1-3 back hard to the base this year and then 1/3 next year and 1/3 the year after. Prune it after flowering. You won't get berries (if it's a female) for a while but you may end up with a healthy shrub.

Steve

Thanks Steve, I think I may do that. I suppose it's no great loss if it fails as it was here when we moved in, but it would be nice to get it healthy again.