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I recently transplanted a shrub that was growing too close to another shrub under a tree. Now, over a week in the Australian summer sun, the leaves slowly became leathery, then started to curl and are now brittle. This is despite regular watering; the ground around the remaining roots is always moist.

There was a lot of root damage getting it out. I didn't prune the top because I wanted to let it focus on new roots rather than new growth on top.

Should I prune back the branches so that the water doesn't have to spread so far? How can I save it otherwise?

dukereg
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    Plants will only grow foliage when they have enough root base to do so. So if the root base decreases then the foliage will decrease either by dying back or because of pruning. – Rob Jan 15 '19 at 21:00
  • Please let us know what species shrub you transplanted. Ask an [tag:identification] question if you don't know what it is. – Niall C. Jan 15 '19 at 21:03
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    Keeping the ground "moist" won't do much good if you didn't give it a soaking when you planted the shrub, to make sure the soil was actually in contact with the roots. You need to water enough to get the moisture down to where it will do some good. To give the ground a real soaking, you need 2 to 3 gallons per square yard, (10 to 15 liters per square meter) not a quick spray with a watering can. – alephzero Jan 15 '19 at 21:58
  • I think we do need to know which plant it is, and I'd be interested to know how long it had been in the ground in its former position... – Bamboo Jan 15 '19 at 22:13

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