Cordyline palms leaves pointing downwards and falling out!!

heynonnynonny

Hope this question will make sense.

I moved into my house late last year, it has 2 palms which look like cordylines (hope that's right?) which look large and well established, about a metre high.

That is until after this winter, I never gave them a second thought and at the moment they look very sorry and I'm convinced they have been killed off, I have a red one and a green one, all the leaves are pointing down, coming off easily and the thick stem of the plant is very 'gungy' on both of them where the leaves join to it.

Has anyone any experience of these and would you leave them and see if they revive, pull the rest of the leaves off, I've really no idea!!

There is one in the front garden which is absolutely fine.

Any ideas as to what I should do with them??

susiejq

Hi,
I hate to say it but they sound dead to me. Mine has died as well having survived the last 4 years in the garden. I think it was just too cold for them. If you decide to replace them then some straw tucked inside a piece of sacking and then wrapped round them should protect through the winter. I must admit I had got complacent and have now paid the price.

Sunnyday

Mine was the same last year, i started at the bottom and pulled all the leaves off a couple at a time (pull sharply downwards) i left about 4 or 5 leaves on which were still pointing upwards. It looked very strange but by the end of the year it had more than recovered.

I did think that it had died and would never recover but it seemed as if this was just what it needed.

HTH

SD

heynonnynonny

Ah thanks for the replies, I've been gutted about them!! I never even thought they needed protecting, with me only being in the house a few months I guess it was the last thing on my mind. I did try and google for info also - think I will get rid of the leaves, my fella said leave them on but they are clearly in no fit state to be left, and the gunge is horrible. Very strange. No idea of the age of them or anything. but they seem pretty established. I also read that you can cut them down but short of getting a chainsaw I wouldn't know how, the trunk is very thick!!

heynonnynonny

None of mine are pointing up BUT only the greens leaves are loose with the gunge about the trunk, the reds leaves are not coming off with a gentle tug. Got my fingers crossed for a full recovery but if not by say, June, will replace and use your method of protection next time susiejq

Sunnyday

Mine needed much more than a gentle tug, the more i took off the more difficult it got but i hope that you manage to save yours.

We dug a huge green one up about 4 years ago as it was leaning after we had high winds. It was about 5 meters tall and we did it in stages with ladders and a clothes line and a bush saw :eek: not the easiest of jobs but we managed it in the end, we still have a large piece of trunk on the back garden that the cat uses as a scratching post.

SD

skiTTish

Like all of us ,they just need a little sun ,give em chance ,they should perk up come summer

heynonnynonny

Sorry to ask another question, on the green cordy the top of the trunk has turned to mush, would you slice the top off after removing the leaves? Sorry for all the questions. If all else fails a scratching post for the cat is still a useful object

alanobrien

Yes remove the mush, rot isnt good and it spreads.
Feed it and give it a chance to recover it may come back. I grow a lot of exotics and have had a few palms spear pull and still come back once the bright orange thing in the sky makes an appearance.

heynonnynonny

Hi alanobrien, I literally just cut them both to about 6 inches off the ground a couple of minutes ago, as inside felt spongy and mushy, cut it in stages and to each bit we cut down was still spongy each time, the point where I have cut them down to is a lot more firmer, not rock solid but will see what happens.

sparkleworld

We had the same experience as you a very long time ago before we had any clue about gardening ( or less knowledge than we have now) lol.
We cut ours down to ground level with a saw, thinking that was the end of that! By the next spring we had 3-4 new ones sprouting out of the ground!!! Sadly we moved before we could enjoy its full glory but they were growing into quite a showpiece!!
We couldn't take it with us as we were moving in with the in laws until our house was built and they had nowhere to put it.
Good luck with it.
Regards
*Sparkle*