I've had a cordyline(?) in a container for about 4 years, it's the
red/brown ttype. It always seems to have done fairly well, and blades
were about 18" long, but they've been dying off from the outside in,
over the last few weeks.

I'm tending to think I've been over watering it as it tends to get some
whenever neighbouring containers get watered.

it it toast? Any hope of growing it on from the risomes?

On 21/07/17 16:35, Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a cordyline(?) in a container for about 4 years, it's the
red/brown ttype. It always seems to have done fairly well, and blades
were about 18" long, but they've been dying off from the outside in,
over the last few weeks.

I'm tending to think I've been over watering it as it tends to get some
whenever neighbouring containers get watered.

it it toast? Any hope of growing it on from the risomes?

All may not be lost. It depends on why your plant appears to be
suffering. The roots may have gone, and so might the leaves, but
propagation might still be possible. This is from the RHS info on
propagating cordylines (https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=543):

Propagate cordyline from seed, cuttings or suckers, ideally from April
to June. Pot up individually using well-drained cuttings compost. If
possible, provide bottom heat.

- Take terminal (shoot tip) cuttings 10-15cm (4-6in) long. Remove all
the leaves apart from the terminal tuft
- Prepare 5-7.5cm (1-2in) stem-section cuttings from thicker stems
that include a bud. Insert the stem cutting horizontally in the compost
with the growth bud just visible at the surface
- Sever rooted suckers that arise from the base in spring and pot up
individually. If the suckers have only a few roots treat as terminal
cuttings (see first bullet point above)

Your best bet could be the stem-section cuttings. The "gotcha" is that
you will have to cut up the plant whether or not it might survive if you
do nothing!

--

Jeff

On 21 Jul 2017 16:35, Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a cordyline(?) in a container for about 4 years, it's the
red/brown ttype. It always seems to have done fairly well, and blades
were about 18" long, but they've been dying off from the outside in,
over the last few weeks.

I'm tending to think I've been over watering it as it tends to get some
whenever neighbouring containers get watered.

it it toast? Any hope of growing it on from the risomes?


Tip it out of it's pot if you can and check the roots are OK. If they
are then either repot or plant in the ground (where it should be IMO).
If the roots are rotten but the stem is fine then it may regrow roots
if repotted in well drained compost and kept dryish. If the stem is
rotten cut off the rot, treat as a cutting and grow as above. We had a
full grown green one cut off and dug up by a builder, had no roots, but
I planted again and we still have it decades later. Tough plants.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bob Hobden wrote:

Tip it out of it's pot if you can and check the roots are OK. If they
are then either repot or plant in the ground (where it should be IMO).
If the roots are rotten but the stem is fine then it may regrow roots
if repotted in well drained compost and kept dryish. If the stem is
rotten cut off the rot, treat as a cutting and grow as above.

Thanks, I'll extract it later and see what remains below the surface, I
had intended to move it from container to some beds before now, but the
beds still don't exist yet ...

On 22/07/2017 11:11, Andy Burns wrote:
Bob Hobden wrote:

Tip it out of it's pot if you can and check the roots are OK. If they
are then either repot or plant in the ground (where it should be IMO).
If the roots are rotten but the stem is fine then it may regrow roots
if repotted in well drained compost and kept dryish. If the stem is
rotten cut off the rot, treat as a cutting and grow as above.

Thanks, I'll extract it later and see what remains below the surface, I
had intended to move it from container to some beds before now, but the
beds still don't exist yet ...

When you knock it out of it's pot, if it's been waterlogged you will be
able to smell it.
re pot into a larger pot if you can with fresh compost.

Bob Hobden wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

I've had a cordyline [...] been dying off from the outside in

Tip it out of it's pot if you can and check the roots are OK.

The remaining leaves dropped off, and when I looked there were no roots
left to speak of, just a 6" stalk. Problem solved today when I noticed
Homebase clearing out quite large cordylines at a fiver each.