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Cordylines leaves all flattened

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  • 16-01-2010 11:13am
    #1
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭


    I have 2 9yr old cordylines in my back garden and came down this morning and the leaves were all flattened down. Not sure if it was the snow on them that caused it over the last week or the high winds last night.

    Are they hardy enough that they will get back their shape?

    I can post pictures later if need be to show the damage


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    #2
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    Lex Luthor wrote: »
    I have 2 9yr old cordylines in my back garden and came down this morning and the leaves were all flattened down. Not sure if it was the snow on them that caused it over the last week or the high winds last night.

    Are they hardy enough that they will get back their shape?

    I can post pictures later if need be to show the damage

    I've yet to come across anthing short of a JCB that can damage a mature Cordyline. Heavy snow will flatten down the foliage, indeed it's a good idea to knock snow off plants and trees but I'd be very surprised if it didn't perk up.
    The other thing to consider is that it has been very cold for a long time. Are they green or bronze? The bronze ones are not as hardy. If your ground is poorly drained and you've been getting temps of< -5 over a sustained period it may affect the plant. Either way it's wait and see.
    If the plants are not too tall and you are expecting more severe frost, it's a good idea to tie up the leaves or cover with fleece to protect the crown.


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    #3
    Lex Luthor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    just been out and about and any cordyline I've seen is all in the same condition. Lets hope they recover...they grow that fast I'm sure they will


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    #4
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Lex Luthor wrote: »
    just been out and about and any cordyline I've seen is all in the same condition. Lets hope they recover...they grow that fast I'm sure they will

    Yep same here and everywhere around Lucan I have seen, although there are a few exceptions - maybe people shook off the snow off them? The Lucan area was the coldest in the country during the recent cold spell with the lowest temp ever measured in Ireland (Baldonnel - 1 mile from me) of -12.4 degrees.

    I've several green and red cordylines of varying age and size (up to 15ft and up to 15 years old) in both my front and back gardens and in pots and all are badly affected. I hope they recover as I do like cordylines :)


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    #5
    networks
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88 ✭✭networks


    i put down 20 young cordylines in october,they were growing away nicely until the frost and then snow,they all fell sideways,leaves all turning brown,terrible looking now


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    #6
    Online01
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39 ✭Online01


    Hi

    I haev two young ones as well - bronze colour. although you wouldn;t recognise them now.

    I didn;t have much snow, so i reckon it is all prolonged frost/cold

    I was thinking of giving all my outside plants a little "feed" just ot help them out.

    Do you think this would be wrong?

    Normally would wait till May sometime

    anyhelp appreciated


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    #7
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    Online01 wrote: »
    Hi

    I haev two young ones as well - bronze colour. although you wouldn;t recognise them now.

    I didn;t have much snow, so i reckon it is all prolonged frost/cold

    I was thinking of giving all my outside plants a little "feed" just ot help them out.

    Do you think this would be wrong?

    Normally would wait till May sometime

    anyhelp appreciated

    Waste of time and money, plants will only take up food when actively growing.
    Another thing I've heard is that some people, in response to the frost, are mulching around the base of plants to keep the frost out. This is exactly the wrong thing to do, mulching now will only serve to keep frost in, so don't mulch frozen ground.


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    #8
    lucylu
    Registered Users Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭lucylu


    I got the following from a Newsletter from Gerry Daly and Garden.ie this morning

    not good news for the cordylines :-(


    But the recent freeze saw low temperatures last for a week and more, without thaw, depending on location. When this happens real damage is done to plant tissues. They freeze and the ice crystals slowly grow, just as the ice thickens on a lake, and eventually the ice bursts the cells and the cells die.
    Very often this damage appears as dried out leaves, or mushy leaves, but sometimes the damage is done inside the plant, in the buds or in the cambial layer, that slippery layer of cells between bark and wood. Already, there are reports of cordylines and phormiums keeling over, the soft centres of these plants being killed by freezing. Griselinia and escallonia hedging too look to be in trouble in some places. Unfortunately, many plants will be killed and this will not become evident for a few weeks, when anticipated growth does not happen. In the meantime, nothing to do but wait and hope for the best. And to look on the positive side, losses always mean new spaces!


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    #9
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Bad news I'm afraid for most of mine. I had a close inspection today and some seem to have (barely) survived but most were rotted in the core where new leaves grow. I've performed some drastic surgery and can now only hope they'll grow new side shoots from the stem :(


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    #10
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    unkel wrote: »
    Bad news I'm afraid for most of mine. I had a close inspection today and some seem to have (barely) survived but most were rotted in the core where new leaves grow. I've performed some drastic surgery and can now only hope they'll grow new side shoots from the stem :(

    That's a shame. I would imagine the "surgery" you've done would be more harm than help, at this stage.
    I think a lot of damage was due to the waterlogged state of the ground as well as the severe cold, it was a double whammy.
    Still, there's always a bright side, hopefully a lot fewer pests this year.


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    #11
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    bmaxi wrote: »
    I would imagine the "surgery" you've done would be more harm than help, at this stage.

    Well, the top ends were completely rotted, so something had to be done. Leaving them as they were would have been the end of them. Apparently, cordylines can be cut back and the chances of growing new shoots just below were they were cut back are quite good:
    You will need to use a sharp saw to cut through the main stem and new shoots usually appear just below where you have made the cut.; For example if you cut your plant back five feet new shoots appear just below the five foot mark. The success rate when cutting your Cordyline back is quite high but I must warn you there is the odd plant which does not succeed in producing new shoots - good luck.

    Linky


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    #12
    bmaxi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,859 ✭✭✭bmaxi


    unkel wrote: »
    Well, the top ends were completely rotted, so something had to be done. Leaving them as they were would have been the end of them. Apparently, cordylines can be cut back and the chances of growing new shoots just below were they were cut back are quite good:




    Linky


    Indeed, I have done this a number of times with great success but never in the middle of January. Good luck.


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    #13
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    bmaxi wrote: »
    Indeed, I have done this a number of times with great success but never in the middle of January. Good luck.

    Aye, the timing sucks. I'll report back here with an update (good or bad) in due time!


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    #14
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    unkel wrote: »
    Bad news I'm afraid for most of mine. I had a close inspection today and some seem to have (barely) survived but most were rotted in the core where new leaves grow. I've performed some drastic surgery and can now only hope they'll grow new side shoots from the stem :(

    Just wondering what the hell to do with our own here? you reckon if i cut them back a bit they'll shoot back? i read something similar here but it didnt say whether to cut them back or not


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    #15
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Just wondering what the hell to do with our own here? you reckon if i cut them back a bit they'll shoot back? i read something similar here but it didnt say whether to cut them back or not

    Well your link is giving hope:
    Winter care

    Once established, the green varieties of C. australis will withstand several degrees of frost, easily down to –7°C. It tends to be freezing winds that do more damage as the leaves desiccate in the drying wind. If Cordylines are damaged, and the top dies back, they will frequently re-shoot from lower down the trunk, or at the base of the trunks.


    But rather than leaving them with dead tops, I'd have thought cutting the trunk right down will give a better chance of survival. I'll post back in a month or two with my results :)


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    #16
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Cut trunk at ground level and cover with bark/compost, should re-sprout (most likely as multi stem) as temps improve.


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    #17
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 64,800 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Done. Cut and covered the big ones with bark and the smaller ones with compost today. Let's hope they'll re-sprout. Will report back here.


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    #18
    lalorm
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭lalorm


    I've just checked mine today and although at first, they looked ok, I can see that the top leaves at the center are brown. The rest look ok, but I can see and smell that the heart of the tops is rotten. Also on one of the stems, it appears to be leaking down at the bottom, so it's rotten right the way down. Such a shame. I've had a look around Lucan and I can see they all look the same way or worse. When pulling off the old brown leaves, the trunk is rotten.
    Here's the question. Should I cut them back down below the rot now or wait until May when the frost is gone, but rist the rot getting worse???

    Mike


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    #19
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,070 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Do it now, you have nothing to lose, by May it could be rotted to the root. Cover it though with something like straw untill the frost risk is past.


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    #20
    lalorm
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭lalorm


    Yeah true. I have garden fleece so I'll do it first thing tomorrow. Looked great in the winter with the snow on it, but since it had survived ok over the years without fleece, I made the mistake and left it open. I hope my tree ferns are ok. They were fleeced and I've just taken them off last week.

    Thanks.


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    #21
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    for any one whose cordylines look bad, cut back right now to two feet from groound level, the leaves got frozen having been covered with snow for a few days and the freezing of that snow at night it was like being in a freezer to those leaves,
    the same with all plants leaves
    the plants are not dead
    just the leaves
    after cutting feed well
    the cordylines will sprout new shoots out of the trunk, which will turn into beautiful plants


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    #22
    lalorm
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭lalorm


    After cutting off their heads back in March/April, I've noticed that they are starting to bud :) Looks like they will be ok. However, I cut them just below where I thought the frost had reached. The buds are appearing a few inches above the ground, so once the buds get a bit bigger, I'll cut back to about a couple of inches above them. They won't look good for a few years I guess, but at least they survived. Hopefully they will stop smelling also!!!:D


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    #23
    moses (2)
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭moses (2)


    I am new to this thread


    My Cordy died off over winter -- left it alone and around May pulled away dead leaves

    Went on 2 week holiday in June and when I returned there where 5 - 6 sprouts coming from the roots

    What is the best thing to do -- split these into seperate pots?


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    #24
    iba
    Registered Users Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭iba


    Hi,

    Although Ive read all previous posts I would appreciate some advice.

    I have three CA, one has survived and flowered, one is hanging in there, say 50/50 and the third seems to be kaput. On the Kaput one, if I understand correctly, I should cut the trunk down to 2ft above ground level, is this correct?

    Also on the Kaput one, there are about 10 new shoots, about a foot long each, sproting up from the base of the tree; please advise what should I do with these; do I just leave them there and if so what will happen if I leave them there? or should I cut them out/dig them away?

    Regards

    Iba


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    #25
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    iba wrote: »
    Hi,

    Although Ive read all previous posts I would appreciate some advice.

    I have three CA, one has survived and flowered, one is hanging in there, say 50/50 and the third seems to be kaput. On the Kaput one, if I understand correctly, I should cut the trunk down to 2ft above ground level, is this correct?

    Also on the Kaput one, there are about 10 new shoots, about a foot long each, sproting up from the base of the tree; please advise what should I do with these; do I just leave them there and if so what will happen if I leave them there? or should I cut them out/dig them away?

    Regards

    Iba
    no cutting or digging
    you will end up with a beautiful specimen
    feed feed feed
    i have some beauties from just what you have described
    ad they have turned into eyecatchers
    those shoots will grow beautifully


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    #26
    iba
    Registered Users Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭iba


    Thanks Goat 2,

    You say dont cut these new specimens, ok, but then wont I have 10 new branches shooting off from the bottom of the tree?

    Also, should I cut the main trunk down to two feet above the ground or not please?

    Regards

    Iba


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    #27
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    iba wrote: »
    Thanks Goat 2,

    You say dont cut these new specimens, ok, but then wont I have 10 new branches shooting off from the bottom of the tree?

    Also, should I cut the main trunk down to two feet above the ground or not please?

    Regards

    Iba
    i do say do not cut off any shoots, just wait and see,they will branch out and be like a canopy to shade under, you will have one beautiful specimen, i have this and i use it on finer days to shade under have a drink sit back it is like a huge umbrella just fab

    but do certainly cut down trunk to the two feet from ground level


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    #28
    gipi
    Registered Users Posts: 2,862 ✭✭✭gipi


    Well, winter has come (and hopefully gone!) again and it's my turn for some very ill-looking cordylines!

    I have 2 in my front garden, about 12-14ft tall, approx 8-10 years old. They got badly damaged during the stormy weekend we had a couple of weeks ago, although the damage probably started long before that. I've had to clean up dozens of leaves from the garden.

    There's a pink substance on the base of one of the trees, and I can see that the trunk is darker and feels damp from the ground up, for about 12-18 ins.

    From reading the earlier posts, would I be right in thinking that this poor tree might have had it, and that the frost damage has gone as far as the base? Can it be saved?

    Any advice appreciated - thanks!


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    #29
    Antiquo
    Registered Users Posts: 290 ✭✭Antiquo


    gipi wrote: »
    Well, winter has come (and hopefully gone!) again and it's my turn for some very ill-looking cordylines!

    I have 2 in my front garden, about 12-14ft tall, approx 8-10 years old. They got badly damaged during the stormy weekend we had a couple of weeks ago, although the damage probably started long before that. I've had to clean up dozens of leaves from the garden.

    There's a pink substance on the base of one of the trees, and I can see that the trunk is darker and feels damp from the ground up, for about 12-18 ins.

    From reading the earlier posts, would I be right in thinking that this poor tree might have had it, and that the frost damage has gone as far as the base? Can it be saved?

    Any advice appreciated - thanks!


    Gipi most everyone has sick cabbage palms/cordylines I touched on it earlier in another post about Griselinia's.

    These palms are only hardy to about -5C for brief periods and the prolonged cold spell of much lower temp in most cases has literally frozen the trunk and in so doing destroyed the plants cells. Worse at the skinny growing tip and less effect as the trunk thickens but still froze the outer to some extent. If leaves are falling then the growing tip has more than likely had it but I wouldn't go hackng at it just yet.
    Popular advice is to leave the plant until May to see if any new shoots will appear on the stems. At this point cut the tree back to that point and seal the cut with wax. Obviously if parts of the tree don't sprout any new shoots by May it needs to be removed to ground level where you may still get some new growth from the base.

    Any broken or loose limbs should be removed now but don't think you can pull them off as they are quite strong use a saw to make a clean cut. Cut under the limb approx 1/4 width deep then cut from the top down to this cut as it prevents break out.


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    #30
    gipi
    Registered Users Posts: 2,862 ✭✭✭gipi


    Antiquo,

    Thanks so much for that - there are no limbs on the cordyline, it's actually just a single trunk so I don't have anything to cut off at the moment.

    I'll leave the tree alone for a while (suits me!), clear up the falling leaves, and see what happens as spring arrives.

    Ta again!


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    #31
    lalorm
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭lalorm


    gipi wrote: »
    Well, winter has come (and hopefully gone!) again and it's my turn for some very ill-looking cordylines!

    I have 2 in my front garden, about 12-14ft tall, approx 8-10 years old. They got badly damaged during the stormy weekend we had a couple of weeks ago, although the damage probably started long before that. I've had to clean up dozens of leaves from the garden.

    There's a pink substance on the base of one of the trees, and I can see that the trunk is darker and feels damp from the ground up, for about 12-18 ins.

    From reading the earlier posts, would I be right in thinking that this poor tree might have had it, and that the frost damage has gone as far as the base? Can it be saved?

    Any advice appreciated - thanks!

    Since you have to cut it right back, you might be better off getting a new plant. I cut mine back hard last year and it did grow back, but the smell from it was awfull. It smelt like sour milk and this year all the new growth has been killed off again, so this time it's going. Looking around the garden I can see I've also some other damage around!


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