Cordyline problem?
 

Hi,

I have a red cordyline which has happily lived in a pot on the patio for
the last couple of years. However, this spring it was starting to look a
little "tired" and a lot of the lower leaves were drying up and dropping
off.

I re-potted it into a slightly larger glazed ceramic pot but it doesn't
appear to be getting any better. The colour looks faded, compared to the
vibrant specimens I've seen at the nursery, there's no new growth and
some of the lower leaves are still dropping off.

Is there anything I can do to revive it or does it have any special
requirements?

Cordyline problem?
 

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a red cordyline which has happily lived in a pot on the patio for
the last couple of years. However, this spring it was starting to look a
little "tired" and a lot of the lower leaves were drying up and dropping
off.

I re-potted it into a slightly larger glazed ceramic pot but it doesn't
appear to be getting any better. The colour looks faded, compared to the
vibrant specimens I've seen at the nursery, there's no new growth and some
of the lower leaves are still dropping off.

Is there anything I can do to revive it or does it have any special
requirements?

I could be wrong but I thought the bottom leaves are supposed to drop of
while it has new shoots from the top, this is how they gain the trunk.

The re-potting may have disturbed it at a point when it was creating new
shoots.

Cordyline problem?
 

Sandy wrote:
Hi,

I have a red cordyline which has happily lived in a pot on the patio
for the last couple of years. However, this spring it was starting to
look a little "tired" and a lot of the lower leaves were drying up
and dropping off.

I re-potted it into a slightly larger glazed ceramic pot but it
doesn't appear to be getting any better. The colour looks faded,
compared to the vibrant specimens I've seen at the nursery, there's
no new growth and some of the lower leaves are still dropping off.

Is there anything I can do to revive it or does it have any special
requirements?

As far as I am aware, the cordylines with "red" leaves are not as hardy as
those with green leaves. Was it subject to colder temperatures last winter?

Was the compost very wet when you removed it from the old pot? It may be
that the roots have been too wet and rotted off. If so, it may be possible
to cut away the damaged part and get the stem/trunk to reroot in
well-drained compost.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)

Cordyline problem?
 

Sandy wrote:
Hi,

I have a red cordyline which has happily lived in a pot on the patio
for the last couple of years. However, this spring it was starting to
look a little "tired" and a lot of the lower leaves were drying up
and dropping off.

I re-potted it into a slightly larger glazed ceramic pot but it
doesn't appear to be getting any better. The colour looks faded,
compared to the vibrant specimens I've seen at the nursery, there's
no new growth and some of the lower leaves are still dropping off.

Is there anything I can do to revive it or does it have any special
requirements?
Leaves dropping off is normal. Over years, it then developes a trunk.
Moving at this time of year prob wasn't a good idea. Has the new pot got
good drainage?
When ever mine looked a bit under the weather, I used a seaweed based feed.
--
Pete C
London UK

Cordyline problem?
 

Pete C wrote:
Sandy wrote:
Hi,

I have a red cordyline which has happily lived in a pot on the patio
for the last couple of years. However, this spring it was starting to
look a little "tired" and a lot of the lower leaves were drying up
and dropping off.

I re-potted it into a slightly larger glazed ceramic pot but it
doesn't appear to be getting any better. The colour looks faded,
compared to the vibrant specimens I've seen at the nursery, there's
no new growth and some of the lower leaves are still dropping off.

Is there anything I can do to revive it or does it have any special
requirements?
Leaves dropping off is normal. Over years, it then developes a trunk.
Moving at this time of year prob wasn't a good idea. Has the new pot got
good drainage?
When ever mine looked a bit under the weather, I used a seaweed based feed.


Thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

I re-potted it a few weeks ago now and the roots appeared to be healthy
enough. I do keep it slightly on the dry side and it's sheltered under a
canopy so doesn't get freely watered by rain.

It is sheltered in winter and I tie up the leaves into a shaft to
protect it if there's a threat of heavy rain/snow/frost etc.

I know the lower leaves do fall off to produce a trunk but it seems to
have dropped more than normal this year and it's the lack of new growth
in the centre that I was concerned about.

I'll try a seaweed feed and see if it picks up a bit.