Cordylines leaves all flattened

Lex Luthor

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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!

unkel

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

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

Sonnenblumen

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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!

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!

unkel

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

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

Right I promised a report back here. Followed your advice and indeed all my red cordylines came back as multi stems during late spring / early summer. All my green cordylines remained dead. Unfortunately, the second severe winter in a row has now finished off all my red cordylines too, so it seems

furtzy

My 8ft 5 year old cordyline sufferd very badly this winter. Had to take the hard decision yesterday to cut it back. The crowns were rotten and stinking so I cut them back until I found white wood. After advice from a tree surgeon I then put some soil in bags and tied them on to the stumps to help protect against frost and also the bacteria in the soil apparently prevent fungal growth setting in. Hopefully it will re sprout as it was a fine specimen. I'll give it 12 months to see

garden centres are no loner stocking cordylines after the damage this winter so they are likely to become a rare sight in ireland soon

furtzy

IT LIVES! New growth has sprouted from the base. 7 new little shoots have appeared. I'm delighted as I was just thinking of digging it as out as it was stinking. It will take a long time to grow back to its former glory but at least its a tryer! Am thinking it might grow quicker considering the well established large roots

Mindme

A 20 year old cordyline in our garden totally dead looking since last severe frost has now new shoots near the top. It's about 20 foot high. :-)

unkel

The one cordyline now starting to live again is a red one in my back garden and it is about 23 years old too!

It came from another garden and I transplanted it about 8 years ago

Mindme

Our red cordylines are coming back from the base too. :-) Just hope some of the others will survive.

Growing honeysuckle up the trunk of one just in case.

geordief

I have one that is (was) over 50 years old.It is now reshooting from the base (about a dozen to 20 shoots , some up to 5 inches in length now) and I have cut it down (about 4 or 5 trunks) to 5 or 6 feet above the ground.

Is there anything I can do to encourage growth at the top of the stumps?

Otherwise I will have to cut them all right down to the base I suppose....

slowburner

Mindme wrote: »

Our red cordylines are coming back from the base too. :-) Just hope some of the others will survive.

Growing honeysuckle up the trunk of one just in case.

Good idea.

slowburner

geordief wrote: »

I have one that is (was) over 50 years old.It is now reshooting from the base (about a dozen to 20 shoots , some up to 5 inches in length now) and I have cut it down (about 4 or 5 trunks) to 5 or 6 feet above the ground.

Is there anything I can do to encourage growth at the top of the stumps?

Otherwise I will have to cut them all right down to the base I suppose....

I think you will have to resign yourself to the fact that you will have multi-stemmed Cordylines. A different plant entirely, but possibly more interesting. Nothing can be done to encourage growth in dead tissue, unfortunately.
You should celebrate the plant's persistence in the face of adversity and maybe choose which shoots would best suit your requirements. And perhaps be mindful of what you will have to do when the nest frosts arrive - I've heard some frightening predictions for next winter.

geordief

yes I heard that too.Just a throwaway remark but she said "these winters are here to stay"
Can't say I heard that from any reputable sources but then again I didn't imagine we were going to get 2 winters like that in a row-especially after the onset of the warm "non-winters" we have been having so much of.
But couldn't my Cordyline trunks be alive further up? I am very annoyed to be loosing such an old tree (I was monitoring its growth every year ...)

slowburner

geordief wrote: »

yes I heard that too.Just a throwaway remark but she said "these winters are here to stay"
Can't say I heard that from any reputable sources but then again I didn't imagine we were going to get 2 winters like that in a row-especially after the onset of the warm "non-winters" we have been having so much of.
But couldn't my Cordyline trunks be alive further up? I am very annoyed to be loosing such an old tree (I was monitoring its growth every year ...)

I could be completely wrong, but personally, I am going to presume that next winter will be severe, relative to what we have become used to, over the past hmmm...........15 - 20 winters?
Anticipate a severe winter ahead and you can't be caught out, can you?

It's terrible when you lose an old tree.
But you haven't: the form has changed, but it is still your 50 year old cordyline. the self same plant it was 50 years ago.
You were monitoring its growth every year - you still can!

Mindme

Still no growth on one of my tall Cordylines. May cut it to base if nothing shows soon.

Meanwhile my Transportable Gardens are flourishing with all the sunshine and showers recently.

We shall have hundreds of wild flowers in bloom shortly.

geordief

Mindme wrote: »

Still no growth on one of my tall Cordylines. May cut it to base if nothing shows soon.

QUOTE]
I also have one that is not reshooting.I am using slug pellets around it as I know they will eat any shoots that try to start. But it may be that the frost has destroyed the base as it feels very mushy and a bit disgusting...

furtzy

furtzy wrote: »

IT LIVES! New growth has sprouted from the base. 7 new little shoots have appeared. I'm delighted as I was just thinking of digging it as out as it was stinking. It will take a long time to grow back to its former glory but at least its a tryer! Am thinking it might grow quicker considering the well established large roots

10 shoots now. One of them is around 10". They are growing a couple of inches per week

geordief

furtzy wrote: »

10 shoots now. One of them is around 10". They are growing a couple of inches per week

that's faster than mine.Is your's in a Greenhouse?

furtzy

geordief wrote: »

that's faster than mine.Is your's in a Greenhouse?

Nope its outside in the lawn. They are now at a foot tall. I've never seen anything grow at this rate before :eek:

Mindme

Yes new growth on a lot of our cordylines. Now hoping for a much milder winter so they get a chance. Will cover them!

We travel Ireland a lot and see cordylines everywhere alive and apparently dead. The randomness of the frost damage is amazing.

kylith

Mindme wrote: »

We travel Ireland a lot and see cordylines everywhere alive and apparently dead. The randomness of the frost damage is amazing.

Absolutely. I was down in Kerry recently and you'll see a completely dead cordyline in a garden, and not 50' down the road there's another one completely unscathed.

Mindme

kylith wrote: »

Absolutely. I was down in Kerry recently and you'll see a completely dead cordyline in a garden, and not 50' down the road there's another one completely unscathed.

Snap! kylith, my wife and I were in Derrynane for a couple of days, in the sunshine!

Here's an old survivor by Daniel O' Connells house in Cahirdaniel Kerry.

looksee

kylith wrote: »

Absolutely. I was down in Kerry recently and you'll see a completely dead cordyline in a garden, and not 50' down the road there's another one completely unscathed.

There is a roundabout near where I live which has cordylines on two sides of it, all the ones on one side are dead, the other side they have all survived. I cannot see that there is any shelter that could have made a difference!