HELP!! I think it's dying...

Ahhaaaa!!!!
A connection between dying Cordylines and Cornwall?????
And Windy had one die last year???
The plot thickens ...........

 

Not so sure about the sea spray theory, Pete. There's one I see on my way into town here,which is looking like Windy's one, only much, much worse - I think with it, that it's in a bit of a wind tunnel, and is suffering from that and the vast amounts of rain we've had.

Is yours in a wind tunnel, Windy? It certainly seems to have gone through some fairly unpleasant weather.... :(

 

Pete - I live relatively near the sea, quarter of a mile by road but would be closer as the crow flies. It's over a hill and is the direction from which the worse of the winds come - which, in answer to Dendy, does come right across the garden straight into the cordyline.
It's put on a lot of growth this year, dunno if that has anything to do with it???????
:rolleyes:
I just don't want it to die :(

 

I've dragged this thread out from the dead, as there's been a development with my Cordyline.

It's looking worse... :( and now the bark at the bottom of the trunk at the back has started to peel off. :( Inside is wet and spongy with a colony of woodlice living in it :( It had a baby one growing out of it but now that's dead. :(

It's a gonner isn't it?????
Should I cut it off at the base or pull it out??
Is whatever's wrong with it likely to spread to my other plants?

I am gutted

 

Windy we have a red Cordyline and the bark round the bottom does start to die of each year.As it grows it forms a trunk with the green or red foliage on the top.

If the inside is wet and spongy inside then it perhaps has succomed to the wet weather we have all been experiencing recently.We have ours planted in a south facing border and don't bother to cover it in the winter.

By the sounds of things yours is a gonner for sure especially if the baby is also dead.

Perhaps you ought to dig it up and feed it to your compost bin and perhaps try again.

Our variety is Cordyline Australis which doesn't get as tall as the green variety and you have the added bonus of red leaves

 

No ... don't dig it up
I had one which went the same way as yours, and it is still alive today, albeit with a damaged trunk bark.
Nevertheless ... if it HAS got frosted and is about to die, let it do so and then just remove the dead portion above the ground. From the roots will appear two or three new plants which will grow to form a brand new multi trunked tree which will please you no end

 

Thanks guys
Whatever I do it's going to take quite a while for another plant to reach that size.....although I do have an Acacia Melanoxylon that is hoping for a bit of border space, so all is not lost!!! :rolleyes:

 

Hi Windy,
We haven't had one die on us yet so didn't realise that you can cut them down and get new ones from the roots.I personally don't rave over them because I like things with branches so the birds have somewhere to sit.Our next door neighbour has a green one and it is quite tall and is blocking out the light in his dining room,so he is on about chopping it down.We brought our red one at the same time and is only a fraction of the height.Good Luck with yours

 

Thanks Kandy Mine's obviously quite an old tree to get to the size it is, it was here when we moved in. The sea gales we get here make other things grow with a lean, or die very quickly, but perhaps it's just reached the end of it's natural life?????
You don't fancy bringing a rope and a sharp saw next time you're down here and giving me a hand cutting it down!!!! :D :D :D

 

Cordylines DO get branches ...... when they flower the stems branch out
The only thing I don't like about them is the trouble they give you having to gather up the 'leaves' every other day or so :(

 

I agree whis4ey...they bung up the mower and take an eternity to compost!! My once beautiful Cordyline has got 4 heads on it....but on inspection this evening the trunk isn't as wet as yesterday and the woodlice seem to have cleared off!!! So I'm keeping hopeful that it might be okay

 

Leave it windy for at least another year and see what happens.
If it should sprout from the base the established root system will very quickly push up a new shoot or five, if thats reduced to one it will grow much faster than expected.
I reckon it could be six foot in a couple of years.
On the other hand if the rot is coming up from the root then its probably the end.

 

Thanks Pete, I've got to give it a fighting chance because, even though they're as common as Dandelions down here, it's a tree and trees are precious!!!!! Will no doubt be returning for your advice often about the poor chap!!! :rolleyes:

 

Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I was really curious to find out whether your Cordyline survived Windy,and what management you came up with for it. Did you cut it down at the base and did this prompt new plants to shoot?

Also, it was an interesting photo you took of your garden - have you planted up those borders and have they become established? It would be great to see a photo of how it is looking now.

Sorry to be so nosey!