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Cordylines leaves all flattened

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    #32
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,032 ✭✭✭✭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 :(


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    #33
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭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


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    #34
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭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


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    #35
    Mindme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭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. :-)


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    #36
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,032 ✭✭✭✭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


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    #37
    Mindme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭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.


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    #38
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭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....


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    #39
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #40
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #41
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭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 ...)


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    #42
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭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!


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    #43
    Mindme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭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.


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    #44
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭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...


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    #45
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭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 :D


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    #46
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭geordief


    furtzy wrote: »
    10 shoots now. One of them is around 10". They are growing a couple of inches per week :D
    that's faster than mine.Is your's in a Greenhouse?


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    #47
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭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:


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    #48
    Mindme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭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.


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    #49
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭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.


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    #50
    Mindme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47 ✭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.

    kerrytrip033.jpg


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    #51
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,178 ✭✭✭✭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!


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    #52
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭geordief


    furtzy wrote: »
    Nope its outside in the lawn. They are now at a foot tall. I've never seen anything grow at this rate before :eek:
    I can trump that.
    My clematis recovered from nowhere about 2 weeks ago and is now much taller than the cordyline...


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    #53
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭geordief


    It has come to this. I have make arrangements for removing one of my plants as it is entirely rotted at the base.

    It is pretty big and I am anticipating a problem (I have noticed a lot of other gardens' dead cordyline plants still standing as if they too are a bit unsure about how to go about cutting them down)

    To my mind it only makes sense to dig it out but I can't say that I am looking forward to that job...

    Has anyone removed a very large dead cordyline?


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    #54
    redser7
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭redser7


    Maybe the cordylines that died were sheltering the other ones? The ultimate sacrifice


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    #55
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭geordief


    redser7 wrote: »
    Maybe the cordylines that died were sheltering the other ones? The ultimate sacrifice
    no they were separate.I think the one that died was overgrown at the base and that may have done for it.


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    #56
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭furtzy


    geordief wrote: »
    I can trump that.
    My clematis recovered from nowhere about 2 weeks ago and is now much taller than the cordyline...

    :D 16 new shoots all 2 foot tall now. Should grow another foot or so before the growing season ends.


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    #57
    geordief
    Registered Users Posts: 475 ✭✭geordief


    Are you optimistic it will survive if we get a repeat of the last 2 winters?
    Would covering or mulching it help (be worth it)?


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    #58
    redser7
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭redser7


    Watched a Gardener's World clip once on protecting plants for winter. For these they gathered the fronds in and tied them together then wrapped loads of fleece around. Should do the trick. If snow comes again like last year wrap extra stuff around it.

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/category/video-projects/


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    #59
    redser7
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭redser7


    http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/cordyline-protect-winter/

    http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/protect-plants-for-winter/


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    #60
    furtzy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭furtzy


    geordief wrote: »
    Are you optimistic it will survive if we get a repeat of the last 2 winters?
    Would covering or mulching it help (be worth it)?

    If we get a repeat of last winter I will definitely be covering it. Covered my bay tree during this winter and it survived albeit with some slight damage to the very tips


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