cutting back a Cordyline?
 

I am not sure if pruning is the right word but I have a BIG Cordyline (C.
australis?? cabbage palm). I do not want to kill it but it is humungous
with one big "trunk". If I cut it in half (half way up the trunk; not left
half vs right half ho ho ho), will it regrow? Being monocots, they grow
funny so I would not be surprised if teh answer was that this would kill it.
Nonetheless, in big old Irish estates (Fota and Mountstewart) you do see
ancient ones with lot and lots of smaller trunks, rather then one big one so
that suggests they can be persuaded to spread out. Maybe that has to be
done from an earlier age.

Des

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

Des Higgins wrote:
I am not sure if pruning is the right word but I have a BIG Cordyline
(C. australis?? cabbage palm). I do not want to kill it but it is
humungous with one big "trunk". If I cut it in half (half way up the
trunk; not left half vs right half ho ho ho), will it regrow? Being
monocots, they grow funny so I would not be surprised if teh answer
was that this would kill it. Nonetheless, in big old Irish estates
(Fota and Mountstewart) you do see ancient ones with lot and lots of
smaller trunks, rather then one big one so that suggests they can be
persuaded to spread out. Maybe that has to be done from an earlier
age.
Des

it will grow away quite happily from below the cut.

Friends in Cornwall have an avenue of them lining their drive, whenever they
get frosted they just cut down progressively to solid trunk and wait for the
regrowth.

pk

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

"p.k." wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
I am not sure if pruning is the right word but I have a BIG Cordyline
(C. australis?? cabbage palm). I do not want to kill it but it is
humungous with one big "trunk". If I cut it in half (half way up the
trunk; not left half vs right half ho ho ho), will it regrow? Being
monocots, they grow funny so I would not be surprised if teh answer
was that this would kill it. Nonetheless, in big old Irish estates
(Fota and Mountstewart) you do see ancient ones with lot and lots of
smaller trunks, rather then one big one so that suggests they can be
persuaded to spread out. Maybe that has to be done from an earlier
age.
Des

it will grow away quite happily from below the cut.

Friends in Cornwall have an avenue of them lining their drive, whenever
they
get frosted they just cut down progressively to solid trunk and wait for
the
regrowth.

pk


On a similar topic I have a Cordyline approx 12 feet high it has over the
past few months sprouted shoots from the trunk - some now 12-18 inches -
what are these? Can they be removed for transplanting?

PhilC

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

"p.k." wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
I am not sure if pruning is the right word but I have a BIG Cordyline
(C. australis?? cabbage palm). I do not want to kill it but it is
humungous with one big "trunk". If I cut it in half (half way up the
trunk; not left half vs right half ho ho ho), will it regrow? Being
monocots, they grow funny so I would not be surprised if teh answer
was that this would kill it. Nonetheless, in big old Irish estates
(Fota and Mountstewart) you do see ancient ones with lot and lots of
smaller trunks, rather then one big one so that suggests they can be
persuaded to spread out. Maybe that has to be done from an earlier
age.
Des

it will grow away quite happily from below the cut.

Friends in Cornwall have an avenue of them lining their drive, whenever
they get frosted they just cut down progressively to solid trunk and wait
for the regrowth.

pk
Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk (telegraph
pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Des

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

"Des Higgins" wrote
Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk
(telegraph pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Replant it. Ours grew again when our builders cut it down and I replanted
the trunk complete with large top, never showed any signs of stress at all.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

On 23/1/06 15:42, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:
snip


Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk (telegraph
pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Could you just grow something else up it - e.g. Clematis, rose, Lonicera?
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the flowers to email me)

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 23/1/06 15:42, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:
snip


Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk
(telegraph
pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Could you just grow something else up it - e.g. Clematis, rose, Lonicera?


That is the bit I am taking down; I will leave a few feet to regrow.



--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the flowers to email me)

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

On 23/1/06 17:33, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 23/1/06 15:42, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:
snip


Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk
(telegraph
pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Could you just grow something else up it - e.g. Clematis, rose, Lonicera?


That is the bit I am taking down; I will leave a few feet to regrow.

Ah, sorry, I didn't get that. In that case, like eating the elephant, I
suggest. A little at a time. ;-)
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the flowers to email me)

cutting back a Cordyline?
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 23/1/06 17:33, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 23/1/06 15:42, in article
, "Des Higgins"
wrote:
snip


Ta for that; Here goes.
Next question is:
does anyone know what to do with 10feet of thick Cordyline trunk
(telegraph
pole thickness)?
Soup recipes?
Battering ram?
Tropical caber ******* in need of a pole?
I am not sure how to get it down without killing myself mind you.

Could you just grow something else up it - e.g. Clematis, rose,
Lonicera?


That is the bit I am taking down; I will leave a few feet to regrow.

Ah, sorry, I didn't get that. In that case, like eating the elephant, I
suggest. A little at a time. ;-)

I am sure there must be some fantastic herbal cure derived from them; maybe
for piles or itchy ears or maybe the wood is famously perfect for shaving
brush handles. Anyway, it will sit in a pile until I can find a use.

--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the flowers to email me)