How to grow Palm trees outside in the UK - spring trim off old leaves
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ค. 2019
- How to give your Cordyline Australis a spring treat, removing old leaves, and adding some fertilizer to boost the summer growth.
Cordyline Palms are also known as the Torbay Palm and the cabbage Palm
Another step by step guide - to help you succeed with the fairly hardy exotic Cordyline palm trees in the UK, where cold winters can cause some damage. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
You mention the 'strong perfume' of the flowers. Can it smell a bit like urine?
Hi Lauren, thanks for your comment ... I have never thought that :-) !, but it is quite a strong smell, which may not appeal to everyone .. I think I do know you mean .. it is an unusual scent, I think we all have a different sense of smell, and as I mention in the video at about 1:30 minutes not everyone like it ...anyone else in TH-camland got any thoughts about this ...?
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks. The last few days we've been noticing periodic faint smells of urine in the house which don't seem to come from anywhere. We've had the windows/doors open, and it is quite close to the backdoor, so was wondering if that was the culprit!
@@rogthegardener1 Ah, just found this on a forum, this may be the cause! "The scent can vary, sometimes it can smell very sweet, other times it can smell like a public gents toilet !!!!!" That is indeed what we've been smelling 😂
@@Lauren-yn9ze Thanks for your help Lauren - well I live and learn! this is amazing ....:-)
@@Lauren-yn9ze a further update .. when we spoke the other day I was literally shutting down my computer to go away for a few days in Torquay (here in the UK) where Cordylines 'grow like weeds', when we arrived at our hotel, which was lovely and clean, I noticed a strange smell in the corridors ... a bit liked gents toilets ....!! I didn't like to say anything as the owners clearly had high standards ... so I walked out onto the balcony to enjoy the view of the gardens and found myself staring at several big Cordylines all in full flower and sending their scent in through all the open windows and doors into the hotel corridors ... and thus I had proof that your research was correct! ( I am glad we had spoken before I experienced the hotel smell otherwise I might have said something to the the owners and ended up offending someone - so thanks again!)
Thanks for that. Didn't know what to do about the flowers.
Enjoy them is the most important thing I guess, we seem to have loads of flower buds this year?
Great video, thanks a lot
Thanks for your message, enjoy your garden!
Hey Roger, do you know of any tropical-looking plants that are able to withstand sustained freezing temperatures?
Winters here (60°N) are not that cold, often between 0 and -10°C with cold spells and mild weather in between, but they are long and dark.
Do you reckon the snowcover along with above ground protection for the plant itself would be of any use?
I understand that palm trees are out of the question, but anything remotely reminiscent of the south that would lend me some cred on the streets?
Hi, thanks for your comment, out of interest where in the world are you?
Now, the hardiest palm tree that we grow here in the UK is Trachycarpus Fortunei, which can reputedly cope with temp with temperatures as low as -15 C ! and there are many old specimens growing around the UK that have been growing without any protection for decades so that may be worth considering? This video features the Trachycarpus in our garden th-cam.com/video/1EXRnYgHUNg/w-d-xo.html
This quick video shows it covered in snow! th-cam.com/video/lsWi1-CL60Y/w-d-xo.html
It's makes good twine for temporary peas,beans, and tomatoes if you run out of twine in the garden 😊
Yes!
I had heard about this sort of thing, I must try it … I guess the leaves need to be peeled into narrow strips then twisted together?
Thanks
Hi Roger, my Cordyline has finished flowering and now I have two clusters full of green berries, should I cut them off, I heard that the flowers take nutrients from the tree ?? Thanks for your help
Hi, thanks for your comment, funny enough I have been meaning to video about this. Those clusters of berries usually contain viable seed, and so we collect them at the school (where the video was filmed) to raise new generations of Cordylines. However if you have no desire to raise seedlings then yes you can cut off the big bunches of dead flowers. I have also done this using loppers to cut off the whole bunch close to where it shoots from the main stem, and you could do that now. Hope that helps, look out for a new video to show what we do, thanks!
Great Video..I have a large one of these palms and need to replant it before our swimming pool is in stalled, can you advise me please
Hi - thanks for your comment. A couple of thoughts which I hope will help ...?
- If your plant is growing in the ground, and you need to dig it up, there is an obvious risk to the plant as most of the roots which absorb water from the soil will be damaged and will take several months maybe a year to recover fully.
- all these factors can help
1 Getting as much root as possible
2 Timing - here in the UK sometime between November and early March (except during hard frosts), when the plant is more dormant, and the air temperature cooler so there is less demand for water from the roots (Where do you live?)
3 Reducing the top 'above ground' part of the plant by a similar % as you have reduced the roots, how you do this will depend on a few factors such as 'How tall is your plant'?
In extreme situations i.e. if you plant is big and difficult to move you can cut back very hard (Cordylines can have an amazing ability to regenerate from a small stump .. although there is no guarantee).
I have done this successfully a couple of times and here is a video of mine from a year or so back showing the results th-cam.com/video/yCXibJV6sRo/w-d-xo.html
4 Water well during any warm spells during the first year after transplanting
Good luck!, it can be done, let me know how you are getting on, and if you have any more questions
Roger
Thanks very helpful as my palm is going rotten in middle and now I think it is in very poor condition because I have never ever given it any fertilizer as I assumed it needs poor sandy soil.
Hi Pam - thanks for your comment, yes some feed would be good as sandy soils tend to allow nutrients to wash through quickly. Spring is the best time to feed, but you could perhaps use something like 'Fish blood and bone' at this time of year ( I am assuming you are in the UK?) and then use a more potent fertilizer like the one I used in the video in spring ... you could also add a layer of mulch using good compost which can help improve the soil in the medium term. Keep us posted with your progress!
I’ve just moved into a house that has one of these palms in the garden and the ground is covered with dead shedded leaves. Is that normal? Should I be cutting them before they get to that point in future?
Also, the ground around it is so dry that it’s cracking. What do you suggest I do for it?
Hi Jayne - the dead leaves dropping is quite normal, up to you if you want to cut them off .. I usually cut mine off mainly because they are easy to reach (as in the video) .. I am not sure if I will be cutting them off if they hard become to reach.
Cracking soil is a symptom of hot summer weather, particularly if you have a clay soil or similar, if you can add organic matter to the soil surface (often called a mulch) you could use compost or Bark and over time that can work its way into the soil and help prevent that cracking in hot / dry weather - it will also keep weeds at bay, retain moisture, warm the soil, feed the soil, encourage wildlife ...and look nice!
Hope that helps - enjoy your new garden!
Hi Roger great tips but my Cordyline has got brown leaves in the middle of it. I don't know if its dead or bad winter damage.Any advice for me.
Hiya thanks for your comment, it would be helpful to see a picture your Cordyline .. I do use the community part of my TH-cam channel, where I can upload photos I am not sure if you can too, if not you email me a picture to rogercrookes@icloud.com if that suits you?
Does the flower weaken the palm by taking the nutrients? And if your palm is struggling would it help to cut the flower stem off or are you best to leave it till autumn? Any advice gratefully received
Thanks
Hi great question!
So I have always left our flowers / seed heads on .. and it doesn't seem to have slowed the plant growth down at all. As the plant becomes a tree and you cant easily reach up to cut off the flowers then I think most people just leave them.
However, if you want to remove them while they are in easy reach, I can't see a problem, I would let them flower so that you can enjoy the show / perfume, and then cut off the bunch before they start setting seeds.?
Is your palm struggling? maybe we should talk about that?
Hiya Roger, Hello from North Yorkshire. Although I am a keen gardener I have only planted my first Cordyline (Late April 2021) and it is just a crown aprox 18" high. What can I expect its rate of growth to be. It is in a bright spot which gets the sun from mid afternoon onwards. Thank you. Great video by the way.
Hi Jeff - greetings to North Yorkshire - lovely part of the country! - once they are settled in they can grow quite quickly (around 18 inches per year) although it can be during the 2nd half the year that you see the growth, it can depend a little on the soil / weather .. I sometimes use that high potash slow release fertilizer in spring hoping that it continues putting on 'hard growth' through the season (we don't want soft growth appearing in the autumn which could then get frosted over winter). Exciting times for you and your young Cordyline, keep us posted wit h your progress - thanks!
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks so much for your prompt response Roger; Yes I am indeed excited as I am passionate about plants!
Thank you - I have 2 Cordylines that have some "tipping" that has turned brown. Do you have any suggestions on how I can fix this, please?
Hi thanks for your comment. There seems to be a number of possible causes for the brown tips, to be honest I have have just accepted it as part of the look you get in the UK (are you in the UK?) colder / windy weather (e.g. over winter) could contribute, hotter dry spells in summer could also contribute especially if the plants are grown in pots (so more likely to dry out ... are yours in pots or the ground?). I read somewhere that iron deficiency could also be a factor - so applying a fertilizer which contains some trace elements and iron in it is perhaps worth a go ...?
@@rogthegardener1 Thank you - yes we are in the UK and the plants are in large pots (south facing) so they do be t direct sunlight when rarely we have some but also quite a strong cold draught as well. So perhaps a change of position! Thank you
@@AnandaRoy - sounds like a plan, so long as the majority of the leaf is green, and no sign of fungus - it should be fine.
In New Zealand where the Cordyline Palm is originally from the Māori people used to make swings from the leaves or the fibre.
Look up "Morere swing"
Thank you so much for this information, funny enough I have been looking at the fallen dry leaves recently and wondering if they could be used for something .. but I never though of a swing ... I sense a challenge coming on .. to see what we can make from those leaves - will keep you posted - thanks again!
Some of mine have a white ap coming out of the trunk. Will they have to be chopped down.
Hi, thanks for your comment, could you please email me a couple of pictures to rogercookes@lcsuk.net at least one close up showing the sap and at least one from a distance showing the whole plant
Hi Roger we have this palm in a boarder and trunk is getting bigger and pushing wall out .without removing palm can we stop it from growing (it is at a nice height) Cheers. Tony
Hi Tony, Good question!
I fear you may struggle to control the plant growth much ... they have the knack of regenerating and responding quickly to a good cut back ... they tend to grow back with double the number of shoots than they originally had before you cut it back - which is good news if you want a nice bushy tree ... but they will probably keeping on adding root growth to support all those extra shoots / leaves ... and for you I think the root growth is the problem.... I suppose you could have a go at 'pruning' the roots but that may damage the health of the plant.
The only other thing I would consider is cutting it right back to the woody stumps and then digging it up with as much root as possible, and replanting it somewhere more spacious with room to become the feature it could be. Winter is not a bad time to do it as the plant is dormant - but there is still a risk of losing it (I have done this with several Cordylines of various sizes and they have all survived / thrived after a year or so) You would need to keep them well watered the following spring summer as they get re-established ....any help?
We have grown our cordyline for about 7 years and it's over 9 feet tall. Last month it's characteristics completely changed at the top of the plant as new growths of stems like wheat started to appear. Is this normal as we've never seen anything like it.
Sounds like you have some flower spikes emerging-I love them!
I’ll put a photo on the community page of my channel of the flower spikes on our Cordylines tomorrow- take a look and let me know if that’s what you’re seeing-OK?
Hello, thank you for this video! So had a massive bunch of flower grow on mine, now the flowers have died off leaving a dropped bunch... What do I do with that do I cut it off of just leave it?
Thanks for your comment.
Up to you really, if you want to collect some seeds you would need to leave it until early winter. I cut most of mine off so that it doesn't waste energy on developing seeds, but may allow one bunch to develop seeds ( I have access to about 10 plants, so most of them I cut off the dead flowers as I don't need that many seeds!)
Does that make sense?
@@rogthegardener1 hello, thanks for the info. I think I understand. I won't be growing other plants with the seeds. I just wonder if I cut it off will it destroy the plant, there are about 4 shoots coming out the trunk of the flower. I don't want to loose thoes shoots.
@@airjaff Its hard to tell without seeing the plant - I am not sure that there is a way to share photos on TH-cam? but basically if you can usually cut off the dead flowers so long as you are not damaging the rest of the plant, I do this on my ;ater video see here th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html ... I should probably say that whenever you make a drastic cut like this there is always a small element of risk but I have been cutting off dead flowers from my Cordylines for about 30 years and they are all still fine ... let me know if the other video help?
@@airjaff So it sounds like you need to cut back only as far as those new shoots and no further so t hat they can still grow?
Hi. I have recently bought i house with one of these in the garden. Its over 4 meters in height, and very neglected. Brown leaves have dropped and wilted around the top. Also a large branch has snapped off. What can i do with the broken off branch? And should i cut the leaves off now, or wait till next year?
Thanks Sharon
Hi Sharon, Cordylines are quite resilient and yours should recover over the next year or so. Only take off brown leaves at this stage of the season and just try to make a clean cut where the one branch has snapped, and you should get plenty of fresh new shoots next spring - some fertilizer next spring as in the video would really help too - keep us posted!
Great video .
Can you please tell me When can I prune the new growth as it's going into my neighbour garden
Thank you
Hi - I would say spring might be best, so if you are in the UK as soon as poss ...anybody else got any thoughts on this?
Thank you yes I am in UK will do it when I get home 👏👏👏😘😘
Roger - thanks for this - I have a tall single stem variegated Cordyline palm - about 3 metres tall and planted in the ground - with a beautiful crown. I'd really like to keep it at this height and not have it growing way tall as I have quite a small garden. Is there a way of pruning it so that I can keep it a particular height? or do I just leave it be and deal with an outsized plant in my garden?
Oooh - that sounds lovely! I have struggled a little with the variegated one here in Wales ... where are you living?
I dont think there is much you can do to restrict the height ... However ... I will say that the green cordylines are usually very good at regenerating if you cut them back (even right through the main trunk - so that you only have a bare stump) but I have never tried it with a variegated one and I would be very protective of your prize specimen! - So I am not advising this approach for you :-)
However sometimes nature prunes them for us ... a really cold winter can cause the growth tip to die off and the head dies back to the trunk .. and usually (with the green ones!) they shoot again with 2 or 3 growth shoots to form a really bushy head after a few years...or, if it flowers the main shoot may stop growing and again you will get several side shoots forming a bushier head ... keep us posted and enjoy your Cordyline!
@@rogthegardener1 thanks so much for your fulsome answer!
@@rogthegardener1 oh - and I live in East London, with a north facing garden.
I have picked up 2 of these cordyline Australia in red and planted in big pots in the garden. Do they need any fertiliser?
Hi Jamie - they can do well in pots for a few years at least (depending on the size of the pot). Yes some feeding would be good, I tend to use the slow release fertilizer I used in the video - in the UK it is sold as Gro-sure all purpose 6 month feed - I particularly like this one because it is high in Potash content which helps toughen up the leaves for winter .. so by applying it now the plat will have feed to help it through summer and autumn ready for winter - hope that makes sense ... are you in the UK?
@@rogthegardener1 yes in the UK thank you 👍
hello, your palm is lovely. i got one cordyline palm 2meters hight, planted and now leaves started to get yellow. some ends brown, what should i do to get it green again? thank you
planted palm 2 months ago and started getting yellow 2weeks ago
Hi - thanks for your comment, your palm sounds lovely - some yellowing of leaves is common (especially if they are older leaves) and some brown tips too .. are you in the UK?
Once the leaves start to go yellow you may struggle to get them green again, the trick is to encourage lots of fresh green leaves by using a slow release fertiliser like the one I use in the video, here in south Wales I can just see the new leaves just about to start growing so in a month or so we should see some new leaves and remove some more of the older / yellow / brown leaves ... if the palm is in a pot or dry soil keep it well watered too - does that makes sense/
Hi Roger, I am glad that I found you, because I have feeling that you know everything about cordyline. I was always big fan of these plants and finaly I've ordered my own one. I am beginer, so I need learn a lot, but my basic question is what I can do if my palm tree is short but with very long leaves? This is young plant so it hasn't yet hard trunk, just only soft leaves. When you look on that plant you can say that is around 1.5m high (5ft), but actally it is leaves lenght.... So straigh vertical leaves are ok, but what I can make with all these which are spreaded on sides? ( can I tie them some kind?)
Hi Kasia, thanks for your comment, and welcome to the wonderful world of Cordylines ... I think I understand your question - lets see if this helps you ... So it will take a few years before you start to get a hard trunk, it is normal for younger Cordyline plants to just have lots of long floppy leaves, and some of those can spread out a bit to the sides of the plant. I like to leave all those leaves even if they look a bit untidy because the more green leaves the plant has the more energy it can create through photosynhesis, which means it will grow quicker and start to look more like a palm tree with the trunk sooner. I sometimes cut off the lower leaves if they start to turn yellow .... does this make sense? in this other video of mine you can see some younger plants without the trunk th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html please let me know if this is of any help to you (it is a shame that I cannot show you a picture of some younger plants in the ground with the same floppy green leaves that you describe ... your Cordyline tree trunk should start to appear in a year or two!)
as well as my reply below, I should also say that I do not tie up the leaves as that could cause possibly problems. 2 questions for you
1 - is your plant definitely a Cordyline (there is a similar plant called Phormium which has the same sort of long leaves but doesn't grow up with a trunk but spreads out like a bush instead)
2 - Where in the world do you live?
Thank you Roger for quick answear, so I just need remove my plant to bigger pot and leave like it is. I can't to wait to get similar shape like yours.
Regarding your questions:
1) I think that is Cordyline,because Phormium has little diffrent strucure -I can see that tree trunk, just is really short (around 10 cm). I've bought that tree from Gardening Express, I hope that they didnt lie me :) heheh
2) I live in UK (London) and just english gardens have inspired me to begin my adventure with palms.
@@kasiasajdak2729 Great - Thanks Kasia - enjoy your garden!
I am trying to grow a mimosa tree in North west Missouri. It is two years old and I had it in a planter until this summer. Do you have any suggestions? I just covered the base with straw and we are starting to have 30's cold snap here.
Hi, thanks for your comment / question. I do love a mimosa, however I lost a Acacia Dealbata which I had been growing for a few years, when we had a cold winter here in Wales. It got below -5 Centigrade (approx 23 F) which is about as cold as they can cope with, to be honest I don't think they can cope with those kinds of low temperatures for long, so if your Missouri winter get below 30F for long then I think you may struggle. They can also be affected by soil conditions (they will prefer well drained soil). I am not familiar with your climate, so suggest you see what other folks in your local area suggest. Some straw may help, so might wrapping the branches with frost protection fleece, but may not be enough to protect against a long spell really cold weather. I have done a video which talks about protecting tender plants, although it doesn't cover mimosa, it may be interest? here is the link th-cam.com/video/sry4AzHrLLk/w-d-xo.html
@@rogthegardener1 They do survive here because I've seen several mature trees in Kansa City and Columbia. Our temperatures sometimes do get to 0 or below though. Thank you so much. The wisteria is thriving.😊
My Australis is around 15ft tall and has loads of flowers and a thick canopy. I now need a ladder to manage it and would prefer a prettier short tree with branches coming out of the sides. Could I just cut the thick trunk and wait for new shoots to spout from the top of the trunk? would it take long to generate new branches?
Hi thank you for your message and great question
So, first of all there is always a slight risk of losing a plant when you do a severe prune.
But, Cordylines have a very good track record of regenerating after a hard prune, and I always recall speaking to a professional gardener in Australia years ago who said that they just get a chainsaw out and cut straight through the trunk and ‘start again’ with a load of new shoots (mate!)
If you are living in the uk, I would recommend waiting until early spring, (March) so that all the soft new shoots that should emerge after the prune will have more time to ‘harden off’ before the colder winter weather.
I have seen them growing new shoots from a stump more or less at ground level, so yes you could back into the main trunk.
It will take a few months for the new shoots to start growing and can expect around 1-3 foot of new growth per year (nearer to 1 foot in year one)
Does that make sense?
In case it helps here is a video about cutting back Cordylines after cold weather th-cam.com/video/w_Tdj4IQgBQ/w-d-xo.html
thanks for the reply and tip for timing the trim. I'm going to try, I've seen some cordylines at lower heights with multiple branches at each side and they look great. wish me luck!
@@satish.chohan will do - please keep us posted with your progress!
Hello everyone! I have a clump of 5 cordylines and I searching on how to separate them. They are approximately 10 - 12 feet tall. I would like to separate 2, as I would like to re plant them elsewhere in the garden. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
Hi Peter, good question, if they are that big there would be a risk involved of you try to separate them (especially at this time of year). Frankly I wouldn't advise it ... I successfully separated a clump that were about 7 foot tall ( you can see the results on a previous video on my channel here th-cam.com/video/yCXibJV6sRo/w-d-xo.html ). But it involved a severe cut back of the main stems (it became a short stump!) plenty of compost , bone meal and water, it took a few months but the new shoots started and now each stem has become a new multi-stemmed Cordyline. I did mine in the winter when the plants were more dormant and were less stressed by the process ... I hope tha helps ... where are you living by the way?
You should do a video on picking the berries and propagate the cordylines.
Hi James - thanks for your comment!
We have done a couple of videos about picking the berries and propagating ...
This one is about picking the berries th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html
This one is where we experiment between sowing the berries or splitting the berries and getting the seeds out and then sowing the seeds
th-cam.com/video/5WWfI72U8K8/w-d-xo.html
We or about to upload another video in the next week or so with an update from that experiment ....exciting stuff eh?
Hope this helps?
Our palm flower has grown and with the weight of rain, the stem has fallen and bent on its self. Should I now just cut this off?
I would yes, unless you want to collect any seeds which may take another month or two to ripen.
In this video you can see us taking off some old flowers from the same tree a few years later (this summer actually) th-cam.com/video/X8cTuYFInaQ/w-d-xo.html
and in this video we take some old flowers off some younger trees earlier in the summer so that all the energy goes to new leaves th-cam.com/video/CtjZVi_0PTM/w-d-xo.html
Hope this helps - and thanks for watching!
Hi. Our garden has one of these trees which is growing well. There are new shoits growing quite vigorously from the roots. Should I leave them or get rid of them? Thanks.
Hi Susan, thanks for your comment, it is up to you really .. I tend to leave them so that I end up with a bushy multi-stemmed palm tree ... it is their natural way of growing ... so even if you dig out this years shoots .. you'll probably get more next year. If you want a 1 stemmed tree then yes take them out ...
Hope this makes sense ... let us know what you decide to do and feel free to ask any more questions - and please keep us posted, thanks
Roger
@@rogthegardener1 thanks for the fast reply. I'm going to leave them as they're really healthy! 😊
@@susanrasdale2983 Great - enjoy!
@Roger Crookes hi me again I wanted to tidy up my cordyline so it looks nice and neat. I understand I can cut off the lower brown leaves but I've also cut some green leaves as well just to make the tree look talker and neater. I love the way the trunk of the tree is looking ( like a typical tree 🌴 ) my question is..is it ok for the tree for me to take off some green leaves at the bottom?
Thanks Roger 😊
I often do the same Natalie, for similar reasons, and the plants seem fine each time…so long as there are still plenty of green leaves left on the tree. I would be less keen to cut off many leaves later in the year as I like there to be lots of tough leaves going into winter
@@rogthegardener1 thank you so much yr a massive help..and just one other little question..ive noticed a yellow blotches on some of the green leaves scattered around so not on all of the leaves. Any idea what this could be?
Thanks Roger I really appreciate any advice. 😊
@@natgem1094 it sounds like what can be quite a common problem with Cordylines in the UK .. especially after wet weather. It is a type of fungus ... which doesn't seem to cause any major problems to our plants, but doesn't look very nice when there are a lot of yellow spots.
I talk about this in another video (link below) in the video I cut off some leaves in October which is later than I would normally but the leaves looked so bad after some really wet weather I wanted to remove them.
Here's the video th-cam.com/video/rsuIjN_9Uv8/w-d-xo.html
@@rogthegardener1 thank you 😊 kind regards.
Hi I have a cordyline palm over the years it has branched off and has quite a large canopy. At the top of the main trunk it is sprouting from the middle but we would like some advice on reducing the height which I estimate at about 7 metres, can we trim above the main trunk where it branches out thanks
Hi Jason and thanks for your comment, your question is quite a common one and always reminds me of when I was talking to a gardener in Australia where the Cordylines grow very quickly and can become too tall quite quickly - his Cordyline was a long single stem probably 20 foot plus high, and he enthusiastically explained that they just cut through the trunk about a metre above the soil with a chainsaw and the plant just starts again!
They are very good at regenerating with lots of new growth to a very hard prune .. so don't be afraid to cut back by as much as you want to (I suppose I had better say that there is always a risk when you cut something back) March would be the best time to do it (assuming you are in the UK?) combined with a well balanced fertilizer - I like to use Grosure slow release as in the video but others are available :-)
Here is a link to a video which shows how a 6 foot Cordyline that had fallen over, lost most of its roots and got cut back to a couple of inches of stump recovered within months with some fresh new shoots from the stump th-cam.com/video/yCXibJV6sRo/w-d-xo.html
Hope this helps - let us know how you get on?
@@rogthegardener1 thanks for the prompt reply, I have had very conflicting information in the past about whether to prune or not ,I will wait until march and possibly have a go at pruning thanks
How do I take the shoots on the stem off, to regrow?
I have a clump of cabbage palm , they were here when we moved in 13yrs ago , I have really got into my garden the past cpl of years but have done nothing with them . they flowered beautifully on 2 stems this year , but they look like they are budding again , is this normal ?
Thankyou . Tilly x
Hi Tilly, thanks for your comment - great to hear your are getting into your garden! Are you in the UK? if so what you are seeing is probably the seeds heads developing on the dead flowers from earlier this year ... does that sound feasible .. or are you seeing completely new flower shoots?
Roger
Hi, I have a massive palm tree in my new garden and I am unsure whether it's dying.the bottom of your tree looks like mine and the top of the tree the branches are drooping with brown tips. I have no idea how to look after it.
Hi thanks for your comment,
A couple of questions, are you in the uk or somewhere else in the world?
Could you maybe email me a couple of pictures of your palm to rogercrookes@lcsuk.net ?
Thanks
hey mate...where do you purchase ur cold hardy palms that can handle the UK winter?
Hi, thanks for your comment, here in the UK most decent garden centres / nurseries will have a range of hardy / hardy-ish palms and plants.
In one of the schools I work with with here in south wales we have started growing our own Cordyline Palms from seeds gathered from the Cordylines in the school garden....there are several videos showing how we do this on my channel here is one of them th-cam.com/video/YKb5CKkaaoE/w-d-xo.html
Hope this helps?
I've got largish ones in pots..some of the leaves are going yellow and some have got yellow spots...Is it because they need the high pot ash fertilizer?
Hi, Thanks for your comment - I wish I could see your palms / pots, there are a few things that could be causing the yellowing / spots. Typically what you describe isn't a lack of Potash specifically, they certainly could be in need of a general balanced fertilizer as plants in pots can run out of nutrients quite quickly. The fertilizer I use is high in Potash, but it also contains nitrogen, phosphate and some trace elements - plants need the balance of all essential nutrients. How often do you feed the pots ...if at all? Pots can also dry out very quickly, especially if the plants have been in there for a year or two, if so your palms may need to go into bigger pots or get a lot more water ...? yellow spots can be caused by a fungal disease, which is quite common in some areas of the UK, not a huge problem though, just cut off the poor leaves (if they are spotted I would not compost them). I hope this helps? let me know how you get on, or if you have any furthedr questions, thanks
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks I have just ordered some larger tree pots (with handles)..also I haven't been feeding them enough..I wasn't sure what fertiliser's best as I tend to use miracle grow on my plants but probably not suitable for these..I noticed you used Growsure..Was that an all round fertiliser, because I thought it was just pot ash?
@@kristiannavarro666 Good plan, Yes that Grow sure is a balanced feed, as is Miracle gro, but there is a slightly higher Potash content in the grow sure that is why I use that one - good luck! I am sure your palms will enjoy their feast - what ever the brand!
@@rogthegardener1 ,
Hi. I have inherited three of these in my new garden which look like bushes rather than trees. Can I train them upwards rather than outwards? Thank you
Hi Marie - thanks for your comment, ... I wonder if you have Phormiums rather than Cordlines? Try googling Phormiums and if that is what you have then you cannot get them to form a tree, as they naturally grown as a 'bush' with no stem or trunk ... but still great plants ...let us know what you think, thanks
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks for the speedy reply. I have looked online and am now not sure! Mine definitely have short 'trunks' and the leaves go brown and fall off (or I help them off) from the bottom?? Any other ways to tell which I have?
@@mfolland1 Ok well if you have a short trunk, and the leaves are only 2 - 3 fot long then you probably have a Cordyline - at times like this I wish we could share photos on TH-cam so we could confirm - if it is a cordyline ... and I assume they are in the ground not in pots, then all you can do is feed them with a good balanced fertilizer (I use Westland Grosure 6 month slow release ... I am not on commission .. other brands are available!) to encourage them to put on new growth and then remove the older leaves once a year as on the video and after a fwe years ... you should have a tree?!
@@rogthegardener1 yes that sounds right. I will keep you updated! Thank you so much for your help. I am new to the gardening world!
Great video, as it made me have a better understanding of my palm trees 🌴.
I have two palms trees, and I have a few questions please.
One tree is growing lovely and has a big head of flowers growing.
The other tree is growing great but not a full and as many flowers. The ends of the leaves have turbrd yellow all the leaves have yellow spots.
Should I be worried and what can I do the help my lovely palm trees 🌴
Hi Fanos - thanks for your comment and questions, the problems you describe are fairly common. Here in the UK this spring I have noticed quite a few Cordylines with those yellow spots, it tends to appear more often after a long spell of wet weather - as we had in late winter here in the UK. They usually grow out of it, especially at this time of the year, I have gone through some of our cordylines this year and as well as taking off some old brown leaves have taken off some of the yellow spotted leaves too. It is probably a fungal disease so a spray with a fungicide may be an option ... but I have never sprayed mine, they usually respond well to a good feed and look better within a couple of months - please keep us posted with your progress - OK?
Hi Roger, thank you so much for your fast response and advice as it's very much appreciated.
Can you recommend a good feed solution please👍
@@fanoscharalambous2098 The fertilizer I use in the video (at about 7 minutes 30 seconds) is one of my favourites (High potash slow release) any sort of long lasting high potash feed would be good
Fantastic thanks again 👍 😀
what fertilizer is best to use for this type of palm,thanks
I tend to use a slow released balanced feed with a slightly higher Potash content than Nitrogen, which produces tougher new growth (which can withstand the colder winter weather we can get here n South Wales) In case you want to see it online it is called Grow sure slow release fertilizer, other brands are of course available. I tend to scatter the granules over the soil surface in spring and that will keep the plant growing for the rest of the growing season - hope that helps ... where are you living?
Hi I have an 8ft cordyline..the flower's at the top have died I've cut the stem of the flower trunk right back as far as I can reach if that makes sense? I so hope I haven't shocked or damaged it the palm 😕 do you think it would be ok?
Would appreciate your response 👍
That should be fine, I always remember talking to a gardener in Australia who said he used a chainsaw to cut the whole tree back right through the trunk towards the base and it would shoot again 😀👍
@@rogthegardener1 ahhh thanks so much for yr reply much appreciated.😊
@@rogthegardener1 hi me again I wanted to tidy up my cordyline so it looks nice and neat. I understand I can cut off the lower brown leaves but I've also cut some green leaves as well just to make the tree look talker and neater. I love the way the trunk of the tree is looking ( like a typical tree 🌴 ) my question is..is it ok for the tree for me to take off some green leaves at the bottom?
Thanks Roger 😊
I have 1 of thes and the flowers have turned brown but the stems are green what should I do with the flowers please ?
Hi Karen, it is difficult to say for sure what happening without seeing the plant, any chance you can take some pictures and email me at rogercrookes@lcsuk.net ?
Mid July southwales and my palm has sprouted seven flowers, any tips for offcuts for seedlings
Hi Chris - me too, also in South Wales :-) - where are you?
I normally leave the seeds to 'ripen' and they form little whitish seeds during autumn. I leave it fairly late into the autumn before I cut the dead flower head off (probably cutting it off if they forecast any frost) we then pick off the white seeds, keeping them warmish and dry (in a shed / porch / in the house). Then we sow them into trays of well drained compost, later in winter in a greenhouse with only frost proof heating around mid winter. We keep the compost slightly moist, not too wet, and the seedlings normally appear in spring. We pot them up in late spring when they have a few leaves - and hey presto - we have raised hundreds over the last few years ... I will do a video of this years seeds - hope that helps?
@@rogthegardener1 that's brilliant roger I am not far from Swansea, about 5mins drive up the valley
@@casbmxuk Lovely area - we just drive past on our way back from west wales!
Hi I'm looking at ways to get a seed. Or cutting off this plant as were moving and mines huge. So we cant take it. Where are the seeds? In the flowers? I have flower stems atm. What do I do
I am desperate for some advice !
I was given 8 of these. Not as big as this tree but the owner had the original plant for 18 years , so it was a big bush with loads of smaller ones that had grown around it. But the main on has split into 4 parts. Looks great . But at the time I didn't have anywhere to put them all , so I potted them.
The biggest one, I gave my biggest pot. But I did feel it was not big enough. But went with it as it was all I could get. A year later I notice it started wilting . I have now got a new pot . Yesterday I repotted. At its roots all look dead or at least half the amount. But Iv been told not to be deceived as it hasn't grown many leaves but there are some new ones.
So my question is. Can it be revived ? It was in very clay soil before , but now I have repotted with fresh bags of soil and compost with a mix of horse and sheep manure fertilizer. I let it sit for a few minutes to air dry the roots slightly before potting. I watered once after . I was thinking of adding a mix of tomato feed help in a few days time ?
Hi Maddie - let's see if we can help, it is difficult without being able to see the tree or talk directly with you, but here's a couple of thoughts from me ...
- Where do you live? could the tree have been damaged by cold weather or very hot weather to cause the wilting you describe in paragraph 2?
- I assume that for the last year when it was in its new pot the leaves were healthy and green?
- Fresh soil and compost should be good ... but I am nervous of fresh manure as that can cause root scorch / root damage do you know if it was well rotted manure?
- If you have used manure already I don't think I would add any more fertilizer such as tomato feed just yet as that could add to the possible root damage - too much fertilizer can be bad for plants
I hope this makes sense?
Thanks
Roger
@@rogthegardener1 I live in the UK. It used to be planted between two houses. So it was in shade a lot. I used the same soil from where it was originally planted. It was full of big green. the previous owner never took the leaves off. When originally potted , the water couldn't drain very fast , so I drilled air holes to try and help the soil dry out quicker.
Once potted , I took all the old leaves and all the brown leaves off all the plants. In a few weeks I noticed the smaller trees were fine but the big one started going purple at the base of the leaves. It was finishing flowering and the sticks were dying. So I cut them and thought it might had been because I didn't cut the flower away very quick. After a few months I saw no improvement. I asked the previous owner and they told me it looked fine. I felt like the whole tree had shrunk ? Like the branches and trunk looked thinner. Everyone told me I was being silly.
We didn't get any snow during winter but it was cold. However the other potted trees are all doing okay still. One is even growing it first flower today.
But when I was repotting the big tree. The soil was really damp. Even though I hadn't watered for at least 2 weeks and we have had a heat wave for the past 4 days. The once giant roots where all gone. I almost cried. I did see some small white/yellow roots but they didn't look healthy and they were so small I wasn't sure they could keep the tree healthy.
The horse manure has been dried out for a few weeks/2 months on a pile. I then ground it up into tiny fibres and mix it into a store bought 40 litres peat free compost.
It does look and smell like root rot. So it is now in a new pot and new compost etc. I pulled away all the loose roots out as well.
I'll hold off on any further fertilizer treatment. Today I am stripping the last dead leaves. Each branch only has maybe 5 green leaves left . One branch has grown 5 extra new leaves on top of what the others have. So one is stronger then the others. And there is small dark green with purple leaves trying the grown from the side so I'm hopeful. But I know purple isn't the right colour. They are meant to be green .
And thank you for replying ! It makes me happy knowing I can get some real quality advice . I don't want to end up killing a plant that has lived for so long.
@@maddib8173 Ok - thanks for all that information, please keep us posted with any progress, If it was my plant I think I would keep it somewhere slightly shaded and well watered for the next few months, as you mention above it is important to have drainage holes in the bottom of pots as too much water can also be bad for the plant.
Well done for doing your best for your plant, they are amazingly resilient and can recover after stress ... Good luck - enjoy your garden!
@@rogthegardener1 thank you ! I am a new bud in the world of gardening, I couldn't keep anything alive any longer than 3 months. So when I got given these trees , I didn't have a clue. It's only after getting these trees I really tried to learn more.
I now have a nice healthy collection of different plants.
Thank you for your advice. I did put the big tree in full sun for the past 4 months thinking it would help , but I think now I know what's going on , I will move it back to its previous shady part of the garden, take it med bay lol 😂 thank you again 😄😄
How often do you need to water these in a UK summer?
Hi Joe - if they are in the ground (not in pots) then I find that they need very little watering ... I am not sure that I can recall ever watering them! Maybe when they were in their first year of being planted out .. but since then only once or twice during very hot dry spells .. mind you we live in Wales where water is often supplier 'from above'!
Can any one tell me how I get seeds from this tree please. Or can u take a cutting? Were moving and cant take the main tree so would like to have seeds to take and try growing another
Hi Nicola, we collect the seeds of ours every year and have successfully raised new generations of Cordylines (hundreds of them!) we normally do this in late autumn when t he seeds are 'ripe' here is a previous video from last year when we were collecting the seeds - here's the link, let me know if that helps, thanks Roger. th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html
When and how do you remove the dead flowers and seeds.
Hi thanks for your message and excellent question
Timing may vary a little based around where you live, but here in south Wales in the UK we collect the seeds in mid winter (around new year time) here is our video about that th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html
If you don’t wish to collect the seeds you can cut off the dead flowers as soon as you want I think?
We have made several videos about Cordyline growing and propagation which are grouped on my playlists section under ‘growing hardy exotic plants’
I hope this helps?
Please let us know if we can help in any way, and we would love to hear about any progress you make-thanks
We have several
Hi I got 3 baby potted palm trees is it OK for me to put outside on my door step as I live in the United kingdom
Hi Allison, thanks for your comment, 2 questions
- when you day palm tress are they cordylines or another type of 'palm'
- whereabouts in the UK are you? (the south coast has a very different climate than say ...the midlands)
Yes I put my big palm tree out in my back garden I put it in the shade so it doesn't burn
Hi rogar I received my 4ft palm tree today I live in the United King dom is it ok to put this palm tree in my back garden
Hi Allison, can you tell what sort of Palm tree you have? Different palm trees need different care
what happens to the flowers after blooming does the stem root away ?
Hi Peter, my experience here in Wales is that the flowers can set seeds (see our other video showing how you can collect and harvest the seeds to grow your own baby Cordylines th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html )
If you don't want the seeds then you can cut the dead flower off a month or two after flowering has finished. You don't have to remove it, and it will gradually dry out, and over the course of a year or two it will gradually disintegrate - I prefer to remove it ... but that is personal choice - hope that helps?
In addition to my other reply - the main leaf stem does not usually die away after flowering, but will often multibranch so you get 2 or 3 shots growing from what used to be one stem - which is how you can get s nice big bushy head to the tree .... OK?
How do I stop my palm getting any taller, its almost 15 foot & I dont to loose it
Hi, thanks for your comment, can I just check it is definitely a Cordyline like the one in the video, and also roughly where are you living (as this will affect how you treat it)
Hi all,
I have had one.of these randomly growing up through tarmac behind my garage on a disused service road (which goes through the back garden of our property). Now after ripping it up with hands and breaking off the mother plant with roots intact, I cut off 8 pups from the plant and put four in one pile and four in another. I used an app on playstore to identify what the plant was before hand and trust me Google tells you all about cabbages, not about the plant.. So skip Google..
I spoke to a friend who grew up in Nigeria for advice and with four of them I stripped the leaves down leaving the top ones exposed and had them stored in my garage for three days to dry out and rest a little.
After three days I planted these straight into medium sized pots with top soil from the ground and some multi purpose compost from BnQ (verve purple bag)..
Every morning and every evening I fill up a watering can and apply water to them. At the base of the cutting to avoid sun burns.
With the second set of four I left them to dry out for one hour then got scissors and instead of tearing the leaves, I cut them short as shown in this video. And applied directly to the pot using same mud and compost as first lot.
After 24 hours of rest, I went to Wilko's and managed to find Doris who is about 110 and a fellow Wilko customer and randomly asked her if the fertilizer they sold for root growth would be any good? She knew what a cabbage Palm tree was and said Yes..
Well rather than dig the cuttings up, I used a trowel to dig down the side and sprinkle this stuff beside the base before watering.
After another two weeks (4 weeks approx), I had leaves start to go south and bend downwards looking as though plant was dying so I have decided to really be brutal and cut every single leaf right the way back to the stem.. Except the very top ones. These are just cut short so looks like a pineapple.
As it stands currently, I have lost one pup plant because of being a young cutting, and the rest are doing alright.. They starting to go a little yellow and brown, but as long as there's green, there is still life in the plant.
To hold moisture in don't forget to add decorative stones around the base. Prevents the sun drying them out quickly..
Bear in mind what soil you have where you live. I live on the outskirts of BRIGHTON and Hove and our soil is very sediment and clayish, so when it's wet does wonders to plants, but when dry can be horrendous for water retention..
Don't freak or worry if nothing happens after a month, These plants apparently grow very very slowly and can take 20-50 years to reach maturity.. By maturity it's up to 90ft tall.. (according to google)..
Oh and as for when are roots available?? That's in about 3-6 months, but to be on safe side I'm giving mine a year in pots before relocating.
Hey - thanks for this very interesting story - you could write a book?! - I have never tried what you are trying, so I would be very keen to see how your experiment works out. I think if I was to try it would be overwinter in the same way that we traditionally take hardwood cuttings here in the UK. Brighton / hove should be a great area to grow them as you get a warmer / sunnier climate than us here in South Wales.
Anyway thanks again for getting in touch with your cordyline adventures, love the sound of your friend Doris - send her our regards, and let us know how you get on - thanks!
@@rogthegardener1 hey roger, I wish I could attach photos on here to let you see how they are getting on. I will admit matey that the information for this plant is so rare to find online it is pretty much trial and error. The fact so many councils can get them to grow but in different states and looks, I would suggest it may have something to do with the area soil.. What kind of soil do you have down in South Wales?? I will of course give an update at the end of the month in about two weeks to how they are going..
With so many random exotic looking plants growing across the south downs in this corner of the UK I would imagen this should be easy to flourish.. Just got no idea on how much or how often to water so yet again like yourself this is purely guess work.
I agree our corner is constantly sunny here, but that's because of the downs affecting our weather. I have sent the photos I taken t my friend from nigeria and he said it's going really well.
Hello,
Just wanted to give an update as a bit of guidance now it's been almost a month since I decided to take the tree down and take cuttings whilst replanting the mother tree..
As things stand I have lost one cutting due to being too young and it was expected to wilt away..
The others however have started to grow to the point that the leaves are pointing up towards the sky and really thriving.. Now before I planted these straight into a pot just wanted to remind that I left them out to dry from cuttings for 1 hour in the shade.. I mixed earth and compost with root hormone and plant food to create the base to be potted in and when planted put.small stones across the top to hold in moisture.m
My garden is south facing so this time of year the sun rises about 2.45/3am and is dark about 11pm.. During this period the weather has.more or less been blistering heat so decided originally to cut every leaf off and snip all the tops flat too as a rectangular shape stump..
One month on and new growth has emerged.. The bases are brown, but the tops are green showing life is existing inside the plant itself. I am using a whole watering can between eight cuttings to soak the soil but remember to make holes in the base to.allow excess water to drain away
I wish I could add a photo here to show all but I cant..
Overall it's a fairly robust plant and doesn't seem to like to be cuddled so best advice..
Take cutting, dry for one hour, add hormone for root and bio plant food, cut leaves 24 hours after planting to give root chance to settle. Shove stones in pot to prevent drying out and give it a drink in sunlight.. Twice a day..
In winter months I'll be cutting back on it, so be more about protecting from.frost..
After a year should be ready to pot into ground
@@504GREG Hi again - great to hear back from you and it sounds encouraging - well done! I have never tried this, so now I am thinking I might give it a go at some point - please keep these updates coming - thanks
@@rogthegardener1 hello again,
Well here is July's update with ten months left to go until I attempt to either upgrade pots, or plant into the ground...
At the beginning of July I had 7 left, but sadly have lost two of the ones which I had stripped down on advice of my Nigerian friend. As a piece of advice do not strip them down to the stalks as this is minimising their chance of growth..
The first one perished due to extreme heat as we encountered a few days or so where temperatures soared to around 32-34 degrees Celsius and in all honesty with a south facing Garden, I have been unable to provide a balance of protection via shade so attempted a different strategy of allowing them to flourish in their natural habitat which is a warm climate. This wasn't successful for one which dried up and died and as for the second one, I applied too much water for a younger cutting which in turn left dampness and caused the root to rot, but not show evidence or signs of rotting until we had a wind storm arrive from mainland Europe causing it to simply give up and snap in two..
As for the remaining five I have left now out of 8, I have seen considerable growth. Not only from the mother plant who I have had to lean against my neighbours concrete post on her fence for it to grow straight again, but also discovered with this plant that it appears if you happen to have what I have and your garden slopes slightly to one side.. The pot may appear straight, however the tree in time will bend at an angle as though it's trying to balance itself. If this occurs ever move the pot over to a more remote area and lean up against something for it to grow up right again.
With the cuttings I have left, I noticed a bit of rot inside the middle of the leaves on one and immediately removed this to prevent the young plant from being killed off. Yes it looked a little ropey but the hole soon filled.
Now when removing rotting leaves don't be mistaken for rotting leaves and actual brown leaves as this plant will naturally change colour as it seems and this appears to be perfectly normal.. To remove any rotten leaves use your index finger and thumb and gently pull the tip upwards so it breaks away with the same effect as puff pastry crumbles. Once done leave the plant for 24-48 hours to allow it to dry out and then re apply small amount of water to the roots for continued growth.
The other four are doing very well. One of the cuttings I have is now about 2ft tall over the intense summer we have had in the south east, the others are taking their time to catch up..
Talking of the weather it appears that by simply snapping this plant off as a host taking up some roots you think the old root will die with nothing there, but in reality it appears you are creating new growth to flourish in larger quantities. I did have ten new seedlings grow through in the heat, but my neighbour accidentally chopped them down thinking it was weeds on the communial drive..
I am now starting to think how to prepare the seedlings for winter. Of course the roots are covered, but the factors lie of frost, short daylight hours, cold temperatures and much more. Also popping into a garage would mean they would be warm but without sunlight yet the garden can kill, so the test of frost proof pots will be interesting to see how the develop and as usual I'll report back on monthly posts..
As for insects and pests which flowers and plants attract a lot of.. I haven't encountered ANY bugs on these plants.. Even the snails and slugs aren't interested..
Well next update will be August with a new height measurement and more handy tips..
Talking of handy tips, If possible install a water butt as tap water contains chemicals and despite plants being able to neautralise this, rain water especially during summer months is proving more beneficial. 🙂
🌴🌴🌴 Collected
Well done - good luck!
hi...how tall was your palm .?.how wide was trunk at bottom and mostly how old was it...?.
Hi John, many thanks for your comment, I would estimate the trunk was about 5 inches across (approx 12cms) at the base, and the tree was about 9 or 10 years old from when we first sowed the seed - which is about 8 years from when it was a decent sized plant like those you might buy from a garden centre for about £10 ... the rate of growth does depend on the soil conditions and exposure to sun - we added plenty of compost to the soil as we planted, and then added more compost / fertilizer every year or so to encourage lots of healthy new growth.
Hope this helps?
Are you growing any Cordylines yourself?
@@rogthegardener1 yes iv just bought and planted a giant cordyline australis verde its planted in a concrete square i cut out with good soft light soil easey digging its about a 1ft square do i need to cut out a bit bigger ..im 62 this may allways wanted one .i live blackpool. north west just up past liverpool/southport..do they grow quick love to see it flower..?.well before erm i think you know what i mean..
@@johnmolloy7177 Hi John - that's a nice area - some good garden centres up around you. The bigger the soil volume it can get its roots into the better, this will help put on lots of healthy new growth but also help prevent it falling over (they become quite top heavy - so need a wide roots spread to help 'anchor' the plant in year to come.
If you want to email me a pictuer of teh plant / situation my email is rogercrookes@lcsuk.net.
Yes I do know what you mean I am also 62 this year 🙂
@@rogthegardener1 sorry to bother you once more but you forgot to say when they start flowering is it a year two years or more friend..
@@johnmolloy7177 Hi, ... sorry I forget that (they don't call me memory man for nothing 🙂)
It can vary how long you wait before they flower ... I would guess that 5 years is about average here in the UK ...
Do I pick my seeds now and then plant them or do I leave them go brown. Thanks
Hi Geoff, if you are in the UK I would wait until midwinter, here is a video which shows me picking the seeds and sowing them in January th-cam.com/video/5WWfI72U8K8/w-d-xo.html
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks Roger yes I am in wales does this apply for chusan palm as well
@@geoffisaac3511 wales united! I am in Caerphilly 😀👍
I would say yes, in fact I picked some black Chusan palm fruits / seeds from last years flowers on a chusan palm earlier this spring. They are just starting to germinate - much slower growing plants, I did a video about that chusan experiment a month or two back it’s on my channel, I’ll put the link below (for no extra charge!)
Here’s the chusan palm video
th-cam.com/video/zPnC67c9M9M/w-d-xo.html
If You Pull The Leaves Off from The Lowest And Work Your Way Up You Will Get A Much Better Look To The Trunk But Of Course Its Your Choice And Your Tree.
Thanks Ron, yes that's more or less what I do but I prefer to cut them not pull, but as you say we all have our choices - where in the world are you growing yours?
@Bob Charlie Yep - that's about the same as me, I was once told that if the leaf stumps do not pull off easily then leave them until they are 'almost ready to fall' as you say because if you have to pull hard then that tearing action could damage the plant?
How about winter care? I live far north
Thats a very good point, one of our previous videos covers it a little here is the link th-cam.com/video/sry4AzHrLLk/w-d-xo.html
I think I should do another video on this subject specifically about Cordylines - how far north are you living?
Hi Roger, I hope I can still get some help here. My cordyline suffered badly from winter and caught some fungal infection (probably mixed with frost damage) - nothing I can identify online. All middle baby stems rotted away, leaves gone mouldy looking and overall looks poorly. At this point I feel like the only way to save it to cut off the trunks completely and let it re-grow, but a little worried to make the move. Do you have any advice please, I'm heartbroken 😢
Ah, sorry to hear this Szilvia, from what you describe it does sound like the existing growth shoots have been killed off … but if you want to email me a picture or two my email address is on the’about’ section of my you tube channel … I think.
Even if those soft growth tips are dead they often shoot from lower down, you could probably prune back soon into ‘firm wood’ but you might not see any new growth until summer… can I ask, where do you live
@@rogthegardener1 thank you for your reply. Unfortunately your email address is not visible, only the link to your TH-cam site.
I live in West London, not too harsh climate I know... I had a couple of babies in separate pots and had exactly the same symptoms hence I don't think it's a watering/root/nutrition issue.
@@szilviag918 try this email address if you want to send a couple of pics rogercrookes@lcsuk.net
If you are in the London area you should see some shoots by June
@@szilviag918 This more recent video of mine may also help? th-cam.com/video/w_Tdj4IQgBQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you Roger, I have sent you an email
Hello there. I've had my Cordyline for about 5 years and this year it has developed a flower stem for the first time. To be honest, I don't like the flowers on Cordylines; I think they are ugly and I don't want a multi trunked tree. Can I just cut the Flower stem off? Thanks
Hi, thanks for your comment, great question… yes you could cut the flower stem off BUT, the plant may well become multi branched because the main stem probably has split and formed side shoots already as soon as the flower spike started to grow … I guess you can just cut it out and see what happens-please let us know, good luck!
@@rogthegardener1 Thank you. So do I just cut the spike at the lowest point I can get to? It’s quite thick!
@@Wonker1927 yes, that’s I think so others that I have pruned off in the past (after the flowers have finished) are about 1 inch thick… I think I have a video showing how I did it .. if so I’ll put a link below
@@Wonker1927 try this one th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html
@@rogthegardener1 Thank you. I have just cut it off so we'll now just wait and see. 🙂
Yes but what if I want less heads?
Good point!👍
I guess I would cut out any unwanted side shoots… in spring probably would be the best time …?
@@rogthegardener1 Thanks Roger
Can I cut those flower bunches off?
Yes, you certainly can cut them off, as shown in our more recent here th-cam.com/video/CtjZVi_0PTM/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Hope this helps?
plus there is another even more recent video showing leaves and old flowers being removed, I’ll add the link for that below
th-cam.com/video/X8cTuYFInaQ/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
We are on south coast england. Planted two tiny ones beneath an oak 18 years ago. At time we thought they’d be hedge-height but now they look daft mixed with a 40 ft tall overhead canopy Are now 4 to 5 metres tall and unsure if these were Yukka or Palm . They only have leaf at top - trunks are a good 10 inches diameter. They’ll be trapped in oaks’ canopy when May arrives . Have read it’s ok to chop the trunk half way when they’re resting - which is jan / feb around here but late feb might be too late in year. I wish I could remember if they flower. Maybe stubby yellow bud type things but def not the type of flower stalk which comes from the centre of those 2m high very stiff deadly prickly things my old friend has. Can you help before I go out with sharp handsaw and commit the potentially terrible deed ? Regards from wessexshire ps they haven’t divided but leaves aren’t separate big leaves with ‘ fingers ‘ but has ‘ spiked but floppy ‘ leaves. PS it’s def a Cordiline Palm like yours. Thankyou for Video & your help. Love from the new forest coast.
Hi Stephen - thanks for your comment, our regards to the sunny south coast from a very wet Wales.
If it is a Cordyline then yes, they are normally very good at regenerating from a severe prune, especially at this time of year - I have done it on several Cordylines over the years and they have all grown back strong and bushy ... but of course there is no guarantee. You may have to wait several months before you see any new shoots. I would add some slow release high potash fertilizer (Westland do a good one available in most garden centres). Here is a link to another video of mine which shows some Cordylines after a hard prune just starting to shoot th-cam.com/video/yCXibJV6sRo/w-d-xo.html
Hope this help, good luck! keep us posted with your progress, thanks!
Didn’t say when or if to prune the flower ?
Good point, thanks 😊
I don’t tend to prune off flowers, unless I am collecting the seeds, in which case I normally cut them off in midwinter when the seeds have ripened. I’ll put up a link to a video showing how do that below.
If you just want to remove the dead flowers without collecting the seeds then you can do that as soon as you want after the flowers finish … I guess? That would probably allow all the plants energy to go into producing leaves rather than developing the seeds - most people just leave the dead flowers until they fall off as they can be too high?
How big is your Cordyline?
@@rogthegardener1 I can reach the flowers no problem, 8-12ft
Here’s how I do it to collect the seeds th-cam.com/video/2aYr-PyG0NU/w-d-xo.html
What's the tallest palm-like tree that grows comfortably in the UK?
Hi Andy - you may find our latest video of use it is our top 5 tropical looking plants and Palms th-cam.com/video/1EXRnYgHUNg/w-d-xo.html
For me the tallest Palm would be between the last 2 on that video The Trachycarpus - which is slower growing but eventually (after decades) get to 20 foot or more. In reality most people opt for the quicker growing Cordylines, which can get up to 10 foot in 10 years (depending on soil and other factors) but they tend then to bush out and form multistems so that in the UK fully grown they average around 10-12ft. (in warmer climates such as Australia Cordylines can get much taller - hope that helps?
@@rogthegardener1 yea watched your vid! Very good, very funny lol. Thanks!
Hi Roger, I have just sent an email to the address in the comments. I think my palm tree may need some guidance and TLC. Hope you can help :)
Thanks, Joe.
Thanks Joe - will take a look now
OK, just seen the Pics, can I ask where are you living ?
@@rogthegardener1 Hi Roger, Thanks for the reply. I live near to Birmingham. I can email you the town if you prefer.
@@Verstrappen No, that's fine, thanks. Your area experienced some of the coldest temperatures during the winter cold snap, I think? So I expect, like many others, your Cordylines have suffered some frost damage.
The good news - they are still alive, and Cordylines generally have the ability to regenerate new growth and come back twice as strong in the long term (those little horns of new growth you can see are evidence of this)
I have not used your fertilizer but the nutrient balance looks good to me
But
There are some dead shoots which I would want to cut off (eg those soft and floppy ones)
I would be wanting to get some safe step ladders up there, with someone holding / securing the base while you work through branch by branch, cutting out all soft ones. The remaining firm shoots normally produce new growth.
All those new shoots lower down are 'last resort' option where you could cut back all the main stems if the top shoots are all soft, and you would normally expect to see lots of new growth that will quickly (in a couple of years) grow back to the height of the original tree . but often much bushier - I have dome a video this year about this problem here it is th-cam.com/video/w_Tdj4IQgBQ/w-d-xo.html
I am hoping that you will see more new shoots higher up the stem / trunk, so that you don't have to consider a hard cut back, time will tell.
The wet soil wont help the situation, most tender plants prefer well drained soil ... but there is no easy way to solve that problem, no need to add more water unless the soil is really dry .. the feed should be causing you any problems unless you might have 'over dosed' with an extra strong mix .. dont panic, it can take a few months for the recovery to show - hope this helps? please keep us updated with your progress and any further questions ...
anybody else experienced similar problems?
Yes your right Roger, we did have a very cold winter, some days were -16.
The shoots which you are referring to, do you mean such as the picture I sent with the red circle on it? As the leaves are green but the shoot is very soft and flimsy, should I cut the whole thing off where it comes out from the main trunk? I'm worried if I do that it won't grow back.
Yes it's really hard to gauge whether the soil is not draining well as it is in the ground but I won't give it anymore water as I watered + fed it a couple weeks ago.
Would you suggest using the fertiliser you have used? Sprinkle it around the stone chippings and let it absorb naturally? I will reduce the stone chippings this weekend to have a look at the soil a few inches into the ground and see what it's like.
Thanks Roger!
This is not a palm tree? It’s a cordyline New Zealand wild flower??
Hi - thanks for your comment, you are of course correct .. but here in the UK they are cultivated in their many thousands for domestic gardens and are known as Torbay palms / Cordyline palms .... botanically incorrect but it is what they are called 🙂
Cordylines are not a type of palm tree. They do sort of resemble one though.
Thanks for your comment - you are of course correct .. with both of your statements 🙂, its not a true palm but is known as a Palm here in the UK ... and a very popular one too ... in fact it is probably the most popular tree purchased and grown in the UK over the last few years.
@@rogthegardener1 yes, there are tens of thousands I've seen in London but it looks like the Canary Island date palms and Washingtonia palms are slowly catching up!
@@NikauPalmCal Yes you may be able to grow those 'true palms' in the 'sunny south east' but here in the welsh valleys we would struggle, I do see them occasionally along the south wales coast where the winters are milder .. which part of London are you based? (we were down there last month looking around Syon Park)
@@rogthegardener1 central London, about 7 miles east of there. Winters are pretty mild here last year I got down to -0.9c 1 night. The coldest in the last 10 years is about -3c during the beast from the east.
Thats a yucca
Looks very much like a Yucca doesn't it, but it is known as Cordyline australis around here - thank you for your comment, are you in the UK . as sometimes names can vary a little around the world ...?
Cordylines are not Palm trees...
Palm tree's aren't even actual trees. Palms are more closely related to grass whereas a cordyline is closer to an oak than a palm...
Thanks for your comments
Its a cabbage tree from new zealand not a palm or from the meditteranian lol
Thanks - quite true, but often described (albeit incorrectly) as a Torbay Palm here in the UK - whatever we call them they make a great addition to the right garden, in my humble opinion, thanks again, enjoy your garden!
Get on with it rather than hm hm
Hmmm
It's not a palm tree at all.....
True! But millions of people in the UK know it it as the ‘the Torbay palm’ or ‘Cordyline palm’ … as Shakespeare said ‘what is a Rose by any other name’ … botanically of course 100% correct, thanks for your comment and fir watching … where are you living … UK?
Cordylines aren’t palms
Thanks for your comment, you are of course botanically correct :-) but here in the UK they are commonly known as palms (Torbay palm most popularly)
They aren't palm trees.
Thanks for your comment - you are 100% correct!
But here in the UK they commonly referred to as Torbay Palm trees or Cabbage Palms ... it's a 'common name' - thanks again!
It's NOT a palm tree
Thanks you of course absolutely right, however it is commonly regarded / 'spoken of' as a palm tree in the UK it is often known as the Torbay Palm or Cabbage Palm ... its a bit like me .. my name is Rog ... but my family call me 'Podge' - its not my name but I know when they are talking to me - any way thanks for your comment - enjoy your garden.
Totally boring waste of time
Thanks for you comment, enjoy your garden 👍