I dont think Id prune it.Prunning sometimes causes more growth.The bush is weak now.Id keep watering.You say alot you dont need to water every day,and not alot.I just started the bucket with hole to slowly water a bush or tree .Sit it near tree.Works good.

I agree with the previous poster that I would NOT prune. You will lose more fluid from the shrub by pruning and open up wounds that could add more stress by way of access to disease. Leave the shrub as is, water and you will get a new flush of leaves before autumn sets in. Once the shrub has gone dormant and most insects, molds and such have disappeared for the season, then you may remove deadwood if you must. If you can resist it, I would wait until late winter to remove the dead wood though because winter time is the least risk of introducing any diseases or insects through the open wounds and evaporation of fluid from the tree is negligible due to it's dormancy. It should be right as rain by next spring. Do not fertilize this shrub at all. Fertilizing while a tree is shocked (not just shocked from the transplant but also from the drought) is further detrimental to the shrub.

Hope this helps.

Barb
southern Ontario, CANADA

Steve, one of the most important reasons for not removing top growth at this time is that the foliage is responsible for the energy AND hormones that makes new roots. Removing the top 'to compensate' for root loss is completely counter productive.

Plus, since pruning will stimulate new growth, those energy resources will be redirected from root development into shoot development. That's not what you want to happen at this time.

Right. Don't prune. Losing leaves was the plants method of conserving water. I think if you continue to water often, the shrub will eventually put on new leaves. Later you might have to prune any branches that don't survive.