Cordyline "Australis" winter?

I have a fairly big one of these in a big pot on my patio. My question is: last year a neighbor tied up their cordyline during the winter, is this correct? now they seem to have new leaves growing all around the original plant but it looks strange.

Any ideas peeps?

 

I would imagine it is to protect the crown if the winters are severe, very much the same as mulching the rootbase of some plants, as the crown is where you would propagate one from.

I have seen palms tied up here but that's at the palm centres and when they are first planted. Perhaps it stops top growth an then when it is untied it encourages the new growth.

Our neighbour kept trimming a palm from the sides earlier this year, taking the old fronds off, then for some unknown reason cut the whole top off a couple of months ago and there is this marvellous fresh new growth a metre or more tall now!

These are my thoughts only as I have no first-hand knowledge of this procedure.

 

I do nothing to mine, they just stay where they are in their pots unprotected and some aren't very mature. It's probably a bit warmer here and my garden also has more planted protection than most. I don't think pete does anything to his. People do tie up the leaves and this does protect the crown but you do have to be careful of insects getting warm and cosy inside as if they bung up the crown this can cause problems too. Woodlouse have caused me problems before in this respect.

LoL, people often chop the tops to encourage multi headed growth.

 

I know that procedure is used to multi-head a Nolina but I hadn't heard about it on a palm.

 

Many years ago when I first grew a cordyline I was advised to tie up the leaves, (bearing in mind that back then cordyline was considered really tender inland and only a plant for coastal planting), This I did, and the plant rotted out in the centre. Thats what could have happened to your neighbours plant stingo.
Since that year I have never done anything to mine during the winter. One year, not sure when, a six foot plant was frosted to the ground, but by the end of the following summer it was three foot at least.
Protect the root by all means stingo, with some bubble wrap or similar, but only tie up the top for short periods if the weather gets really bad.

 

Never done anything to mine, either those in the ground or in pots. Although I realise that winters down here are probably warmer then where you are Stingo. I find them tough as old boots and take all the salt gales and bad weather nature can throw at them. Had a couple of bad frosts and some very rare snow last year and they came through unprotected and unscathed.

 

Thanks everyone,
It's looking pretty good at the moment so I think I'll do what you all seem to do and what I've been doing and just leave well alone.
Good idea about the bubble wrap pete, may do that and try and put it on some pot feet although it is quite heavy!

 

It was always tradition to tie Cordylines up for the winter, it was what we did in the 60's - 80's. The last two decades of reasonably mild winters have taken away the need to tie up. We have had cold snaps which have killed off less hardy plants but a long cold spell or excessive waterlogging would be needed to see off a mature cordyline.

 

Stingo (and all that have an interest), don't you think that tradition in many ways is a great thing to maintain?! But quite frankly, it seems to me that tradition with regards to the garden is a quickly passing theme. I guess one super example would be the Bananman's sanctuary!
Maintaining tradition seems to bring about a form of sanity... but therein lies insanity!

Oh dear, I'm off on one! And besides I'm hijacking the topic

Kind regards
Royster

 

The problem with most over wintering pot plants is if the soil gets sodden then we have a freeze the pot freezes and the roots get crushed you end up with a cracked pot and a dead plant its important to wrap your pots in bubblewrap to try and prevent this, I know some people say i never do anything with mine and they have been ok but better being safe than sorry

 

I dont think so Royster,everyone is entiled to live their dream. I have a garden similar to bm. lots of banana plants and lots of hardy tropicals. with the change of climatic conditions you can grow all kinds of tropicals.

if you want to keep up traditions, then the old english cottage garden could be your dream. we all have a choice and without a choice gardens will look very very boring.

my neighbours love my garden and now their attitudes have changed away from traditions.

 

Well said, Fancy! My neighbours here thought I was totally mad planting flowers and trees rather than fruit and vegetables. They couldn't see the point of what I was doing if I wasn't gaining something from it.

We were horrified one day to come home from shopping to find our elderly neighbour and her even elderlier (???) cousin sitting in our garden, having opened our gates and shut them behind them to gain entry. When I asked what they were doing (very angrily, I might add) they said they were enjoying my garden! I in no uncertain terms told them this was not a public garden.

The other neighbour now plants flowering trees and shrubs and two of them are delighted with the Buddleia rootings I gave them.

 

Hi all. I am just about to go out and sort out my potted cordylines. Two years ago we had strong winds and rain and it ruined the leaves. What I find best is this...
Tie up the leaves with garden twine, wrap once or twice with hessian or gardener fleece, NOT bubble wrap, as you need to allow the air to get in..and finally, to stop the crown getting waterlogged, top of with a polythene hat which comes a foot or so down the leaves.
Good luck.
SG.