This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Cordyline
The Bald Gardener
Posts: 212
in Plants
I discovered a Cordyline hiding in amongst bushes and trees in the garden I inherited. Having cleared away the unwanted trees/bushes I was hoping to save it (it's a purple variegated one) but i'm not sure if I'll be able to.
It's around 5' high to the bit where the spikes come out (6' to the tip of spikes) and very thin and spindly looking, it probably had to shoot up to try and find some light in amongst the jungle. Most of the leaves were all brown down the sides and some were brown from the tip to half way back on the leaves (i'm thinking sun scorched perhaps). I cleaned away the debris trapped in amongst the leaves, pulled a lot of damaged leaves and have given it a right good drink, but it still looks miserable. My thinking is that it will be too 'established' to be moved, I'd prefer it in a pot with better soil (a pot is probably it's best option although I know it wouldn't be ideal) so I reckon digging it up is out of the question. The poor bugger has been put in the poorest soil area that was available (stoney) and no amount of improving the soil would help, I'll be finding some plants that like poorer soil for this little strip of border.
I'm pretty sure I have read somewhere that you can chop the trunk on these plants and they will come on again. Is this true, and if so does anyone know how I should go about it?
Oh, when I was trying to spruce it up I noticed the bit where the leaves come out of was kind of black (waterlogged?) so I cut that away as well.
Thanks for any advice.
It's around 5' high to the bit where the spikes come out (6' to the tip of spikes) and very thin and spindly looking, it probably had to shoot up to try and find some light in amongst the jungle. Most of the leaves were all brown down the sides and some were brown from the tip to half way back on the leaves (i'm thinking sun scorched perhaps). I cleaned away the debris trapped in amongst the leaves, pulled a lot of damaged leaves and have given it a right good drink, but it still looks miserable. My thinking is that it will be too 'established' to be moved, I'd prefer it in a pot with better soil (a pot is probably it's best option although I know it wouldn't be ideal) so I reckon digging it up is out of the question. The poor bugger has been put in the poorest soil area that was available (stoney) and no amount of improving the soil would help, I'll be finding some plants that like poorer soil for this little strip of border.
I'm pretty sure I have read somewhere that you can chop the trunk on these plants and they will come on again. Is this true, and if so does anyone know how I should go about it?
Oh, when I was trying to spruce it up I noticed the bit where the leaves come out of was kind of black (waterlogged?) so I cut that away as well.
Thanks for any advice.
0
Posts
Sounds like you're having fun with the Cordyline !
I would clear the area around it to reduce light competition from other plants ; the stony soil will have no effect on its growth . In hindsight , reading your post again , you already have cleared it ; good !!
Leaf damage is probably resulting from the onslaught by the 'beasts' two months ago ; it damaged a lot of plants around the UK .
My only concern is that you may have damaged the growing point at the apex by cutting out the 'black waterlogged' material .
Yes , cutting off at the base is a viable option , especially as you say it's weak and straggly . Simply cut through with a saw at the height required , and then patiently wait for side-shoots to develop and form a multi-headed shrub . You will probably be doing it a favour by the sound of it !
If you do so , give it maximum light and copious amounts of water to encourage new growth .
Good luck !
@Paul B3 I was kind of worried about cutting the black bit out. I never really considered the little flurry of snow we had a couple of months back, I'd forgotten about that. Maybe it is a bit of frost/wind damage. I'll give it till the end of summer I think and if I don't see any improvement I'll saw through it and see if that reinvigorates it.
It's a pitty it's so poor looking as I do quite like the purple ones.....if it had been the green variety I'd probably have howked it out along with the rest of the jungle!