It is common for the new growth on spruce trees to droop. The new shoots should stiffen up and straighten when the growth starts to become woody and begins to set buds for next year.

When the soil dries out make sure not to let it go too long without watering.

Thanks for your helpful responses. ken_adrian, yes, we have had a heatwave since Spring. How many gallons should we water at a time?

no one can tell you.. how to water your soil ... too many variables ...

take a hand trowel .. and dig 3 SMALL holes around the tree .. 3 to 6 inches deep.. AND FIND OUT WHAT SOIL MOISTURE IS AT DEPTH .... and then adjust water accordingly ... one of the holes should be into the soil mass planted... we want to find out if the root ball.. and the surrounding soil is damp .. not sodden ...

i suspect you are not watering deep enough.. and wetting all the roots ....

after you dig the holes.. and refill.. and find out its bone dry.. put a hose on a trickle for an hour ... and move it every 15 mins on the compass points ...

in spring flush .. sometimes the plant grow so fast.. that they can droop like this .. and then pump themselves up ... but the transplant itself can complicate the diagnosis .... so in this case.. if watering was perfect.. then it might be this ....

but in this case .. with a large recent transplant.. its has to be a water issue ... trees like this need a deep drink.. with good drainage .... and then near drying after ...

plx insure you read the watering section in the previous link ...

ken

btw... what is your native soil??... does it drain ....

It is rocky and dense. The soil the tree came in was very similar. It is surrounded with wood chip mulch.

Initial watering on a transplant, especially one this size, needs to be thorough and deep. That means not only the area of the root ball but outwards a foot or two outside the planting hole. This not only insures that the tree will have sufficient water but if there are any loose soil or air pockets around the root ball, a soaking will help to settle those in.

I would place a 'soaker hose' or similar slow watering device, on top of the ground from just outside the trunk to just outside the root ball and let it go for half a day. After that, water as needed by checking the soil as ken mentioned, don't over water after the initial soaking.

we want the soil around the ball to be wetted.. and stay moist ... so i would do it as bill suggested... but i would extend the mulch by at least a foot all around ...

the soil in that area right now.. appears very dry ... on the surface ... which is again.. why we dig a few small holes ..

ken

We have no details about how the tree was planted.

Was water put in the hole before the B&B was placed into it?

Was the root ball wetted once in the hole and before dirt was added?

Was water added in stages while fill dirt was being placed back into the hole? This can be optional but in slow draining soil it's a quick way to get water in the right places initially.

All's I'm saying is that digging 3" to 6" holes means nothing if there is not sufficient moisture 16" to 24" down. The OP said it has been dry, that means roots from surrounding trees/plants have been sucking moisture out of the ground so most likely, the ground is very dry, quite deep and was so when the OP planted the tree. So if enough water wasn't added during and after planting, it's most likely dry further down, where the roots need it the most and the tree will suffer.

What's done is done but the only way to be sure, unless the OP knows how it was done and if it was done correctly, is to soak the earth at least 2 or 3 ft. down to get down to where there is still deep moisture so roots don't find a dry layer under the root ball. "Rocky & Dense soil" probably containing clay, doesn't take in water all that fast, it's easier to under water the first time than it will be to over water, in those conditions.

Once it is known that the ground is completely saturated, then checking and watering as needed comes into play.

Water's cheap, trees are expensive and a lot of work to plant. :-)