Cutting a Phormium?
 

I have a plant in my garden which from searching pictures on the web looks
to be what might
be a phormium(?).

It has large pointed thick leaves coming out of the ground it appears to
grow outwards ie growing from the middle.
The leaves are now 8 feet tall and the leaves are splitting and have flopped
over.

It never flowers, it only has these leaves, which is contrary to what i
have
read about Phormiums so i am assuming there are some types that don't flower

It looks a little like this pictu

http://www.aujardin.info/img/img5/phormium.jpg


My question is does anyone know if i can safely cut each leaf down to about
4 foot high?

TIA

Cutting a Phormium?
 

I have a plant in my garden which from searching pictures on the web looks
to be what might
be a phormium(?).

It has large pointed thick leaves coming out of the ground it appears to
grow outwards ie growing from the middle.
The leaves are now 8 feet tall and the leaves are splitting and have flopped
over.

It never flowers, it only has these leaves, which is contrary to what i
have
read about Phormiums so i am assuming there are some types that don't flower

It looks a little like this pictu

http://www.aujardin.info/img/img5/phormium.jpg


My question is does anyone know if i can safely cut each leaf down to about
4 foot high?



I've trimmed bedraggled looking leaves on mine without problem - cutting down the
lot may make the plant look butchered though. Phormiums do tend to get bigger
quicker than expected. I dug mine out over Winter and moved it to the far side of
the garden where it can't cast a shadow on other plants. It was a pain to dig out
and move though - it took several hours and a lot of hard work dragging the plant
along.
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 17:02:11 -0000, Mike wrote:

I have a plant in my garden which from searching pictures on the web looks
to be what might
be a phormium(?).

It has large pointed thick leaves coming out of the ground it appears to
grow outwards ie growing from the middle.
The leaves are now 8 feet tall and the leaves are splitting and have flopped
over.

It never flowers, it only has these leaves, which is contrary to what i
have
read about Phormiums so i am assuming there are some types that don't flower

It looks a little like this pictu

http://www.aujardin.info/img/img5/phormium.jpg


My question is does anyone know if i can safely cut each leaf down to about
4 foot high?

TIA

We have a green variety in a sunny front garden, we cut it to the ground
anually and it regrows to about 6 feet each year, seemingly no ill effects,
although no flowers this last few years...
--
\\(º`¿´º)//

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003 00:26:21 +0000, bigjon wrotc:

We have a green variety in a sunny front garden, we cut it to the ground
anually and it regrows to about 6 feet each year, seemingly no ill effects,
although no flowers this last few years...
--
\\(º`¿´º)//

Interesting plant, the P. tenax.

It has edible uses:
The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute[153, 173].
An edible nectar is obtained from the flowers[173]. Very wholesome
eating[183]. A long hollow grass-stalk or straw is used to suck it out
of the flowers[183]. An edible gum is obtained from the base of the
leaves[173].

and other uses:
A very high quality pliable fibre is obtained from the leaves[11, 57,
61, 128, 153]. It is used in the manufacture of ropes (they are not
very strong[46]), twine, fine cloth etc. The fibre can also be used
for making paper[189] The leaves are harvested in summer, they are
scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 2
hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 24 hours with lye
and then beaten in a ball mill for 4 hours. They make a cream
paper[189].
The split leaves can be used to make nets, cloaks, sandals, straps
etc[153]. They are also used in making paper and basket making[153,
169]. A strip of a leaf is an excellent emergency string substitute
for tying up plants in the garden, it can be tied into a knot without
breaking[128].
The leaf pulp, after the fibre has been removed, can be fermented to
make alcohol[153].
A gum found in the leaves is used as a paper glue[173].
A brown dye is obtained from the flowers[168], it does not require a
mordant[169].
A terra-cotta dye is obtained from the seedpods[168]. A mauve can also
be obtained[168].
The flowers are rich in tannin[168].

I am relieved that I can cut it right down in view of the fact that
it is reported here to get so huge that it takes a day to move it. I
am happy with mine at its present size but unfortunately it has not
yet flowered so I won't be performing drastic surgery just yet.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003 00:26:21 +0000, bigjon wrotc:

We have a green variety in a sunny front garden, we cut it to the ground
anually and it regrows to about 6 feet each year, seemingly no ill effects,
although no flowers this last few years...
--
\\(º`¿´º)//

Interesting plant, the P. tenax.

It has edible uses:
The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute[153, 173].
An edible nectar is obtained from the flowers[173]. Very wholesome
eating[183]. A long hollow grass-stalk or straw is used to suck it out
of the flowers[183]. An edible gum is obtained from the base of the
leaves[173].

and other uses:
A very high quality pliable fibre is obtained from the leaves[11, 57,
61, 128, 153]. It is used in the manufacture of ropes (they are not
very strong[46]), twine, fine cloth etc. The fibre can also be used
for making paper[189] The leaves are harvested in summer, they are
scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 2
hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 24 hours with lye
and then beaten in a ball mill for 4 hours. They make a cream
paper[189].
The split leaves can be used to make nets, cloaks, sandals, straps
etc[153]. They are also used in making paper and basket making[153,
169]. A strip of a leaf is an excellent emergency string substitute
for tying up plants in the garden, it can be tied into a knot without
breaking[128].
The leaf pulp, after the fibre has been removed, can be fermented to
make alcohol[153].
A gum found in the leaves is used as a paper glue[173].
A brown dye is obtained from the flowers[168], it does not require a
mordant[169].
A terra-cotta dye is obtained from the seedpods[168]. A mauve can also
be obtained[168].
The flowers are rich in tannin[168].

I am relieved that I can cut it right down in view of the fact that
it is reported here to get so huge that it takes a day to move it. I
am happy with mine at its present size but unfortunately it has not
yet flowered so I won't be performing drastic surgery just yet.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

Cutting a Phormium?
 

I am relieved that I can cut it right down in view of the fact that
it is reported here to get so huge that it takes a day to move it. I
am happy with mine at its present size but unfortunately it has not
yet flowered so I won't be performing drastic surgery just yet.

Hussein

I have two. One, with a bronze leaf, flowers every year - huge flower spikes with
tiny flowers containing bright orange stamens. The other (a green leaved one) has
yet to flower. I grew both from seed ten years ago.
The bronze one is certainly a very striking structural plant. Even now, with the
flower stems dead and dried over Winter, I've still left them on the plant - they
add a certain charm to it.
It always produces lots of little black seeds - after reading your information I'm
tempted to have a go at making some coffee substitute next time!
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Fri, 21 Mar 2003 09:28:42 -0000, "Drakanthus"
wrotc:

I have two. One, with a bronze leaf, flowers every year - huge flower spikes with
tiny flowers containing bright orange stamens. The other (a green leaved one) has
yet to flower. I grew both from seed ten years ago.

Very game of you!

Mine's purpureum (I think). The common one anyway (I hate it when my
plants appear on gardening programmes).

Maybe it will do it's thing this year. I hope so because it sounds
rather wonderful. Close by there is a Crambe (cordifolia) and I think
this is the year it will do it's thing and surprise all the passengers
who look at the garden from the bus on the way to work. Love it.

I remember when I was a lickle boy and my parents lived in the Far
E., my Mother used to grow orchids and there was one which did it's
thing just for one night of the year. I never saw it as I was, on such
auspicious occasions, sitting at a boarding school desk in the U.K.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

Cutting a Phormium?
 

"Mike" wrote in the following message

I have a plant in my garden which from searching pictures on the web looks
to be what might be a phormium(?).

It has large pointed thick leaves coming out of the ground it appears to
grow outwards ie growing from the middle. The leaves are now 8 feet tall and
the leaves are splitting and have flopped over.

It never flowers, it only has these leaves, which is contrary to what i
have read about Phormiums so i am assuming there are some types that don't
flower


This is the plant that prompted a minor domestic dispute in my household. I
think that it is wonderful. My wife has a different view of it and wanted
to remove it completely. An agreement was made to reduce it's size. So
better half attacked it with a bread knife(!) - removing much of the outer
growth. Poor little thing must have thought that it was going to die and so
put out flowers which must have got to 12ft. If this goes, so do I ;-)

Regards

David Berry

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 07:37:03 GMT, "David Berry"
wrotc:

This is the plant that prompted a minor domestic dispute in my household. I
think that it is wonderful. My wife has a different view of it and wanted
to remove it completely. An agreement was made to reduce it's size. So
better half attacked it with a bread knife(!) - removing much of the outer
growth. Poor little thing must have thought that it was going to die and so
put out flowers which must have got to 12ft. If this goes, so do I ;-)

I'm curious what time of year your P. was attacked by a bread knife
and, if this was early in the year, it flowered in the same.

It's just that Mike in an earlier message said he cut his down to
the ground every year and it never flowers.

Huss
(I had better go and reassure Strapper tomorrow morning with a caress,
certainly not a slash, in case he is misreading the airwaves).
Grow a little garden

Cutting a Phormium?
 

"Hussein M." wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Mar 2003 07:37:03 GMT, "David Berry"
wrotc:

This is the plant that prompted a minor domestic dispute in my household.
I
think that it is wonderful. My wife has a different view of it and
wanted
to remove it completely. An agreement was made to reduce it's size. So
better half attacked it with a bread knife(!) - removing much of the
outer
growth. Poor little thing must have thought that it was going to die and
so
put out flowers which must have got to 12ft. If this goes, so do I ;-)

I'm curious what time of year your P. was attacked by a bread knife
and, if this was early in the year, it flowered in the same.

It's just that Mike in an earlier message said he cut his down to
the ground every year and it never flowers.

Huss
(I had better go and reassure Strapper tomorrow morning with a caress,
certainly not a slash, in case he is misreading the airwaves).
Grow a little garden

Amazingly, just after posting my response, I caught my wife with a slightly
smaller, serrated knife attacking said plant (possibly the bread knife was
being used elsewhere!). So the answer to your question about the best time
of year to cut this back must be the 22/3/03. My wife has the greenest
fingers I know and does these things instinctively - without resorting to
books - so this must be right.

As a side issue she is also gloating about finding (and killing) more than
40 snails hiding away in the recesses of the plant.

Regards

David Berry

Cutting a Phormium?
 

On Sun, 23 Mar 2003 17:24:31 GMT, "David Berry"
wrotc:

So the answer to your question about the best time
of year to cut this back must be the 22/3/03. My wife has the greenest
fingers I know and does these things instinctively - without resorting to
books - so this must be right.

Oh no, I can't. The leaves are so glossy and healthy. Mind you its a
relatively young plant bought about two years ago and, when someone
described 8 ft leaves on theirs, I suppose Strappers are around 4 -
5.

The nearby Crambe will probably do its thing this year and will be
shagged out the year after, especially since one has distinctly turned
into two. Strange that - you would have thought it would have flowered
before that.

So - I think Strapper's safe for now.

Huss

Grow a little garden