HELP!! I think it's dying...

the only tree in my garden, my Cordyline. :( It looked fantastic all year, probably the best ever; but now....


the leaves are all shredded at the ends,droopy and some are curling. At first I just thought it was the battering its had in the wind. But its looking really bad now.
Is it dying?? Is there anything I can do to save it??? :(

 

Hi Windy, isn't this the one that was rocking like a sabbath guitarist ?

 

:D :D
No I cut that one down :( this is it's little brother, about 15ft now.It's Karma it is....it's because I killed the other one :( :(

 

It does look sad, has anything changed around its base or the soil etc.

 

It certainly does look a little sad (actually it would remind you of something that has too little or too much water) but I am sure it is far too well established to be that
I have found that the only thing that will kill these plants is snow which freezes in the crown and rots it. You then get three or more from the base to make up for the loss
We have been having heavy winds and weird weather of late. My own are a little wind swept too
I think it will probably be all right, but Bananaman is the expert, so we will wait to hear what he has to say

 

No more an expert than you whis4ey, your cordylines are fantastic !

 

You can see on this pic from earlier in the year.
I dug the border around it, very gently around the base just pulling up the grass with my hands mainly(around the trunk - obviously I used a fork elsewhere!)

Have I killed it ????????? I so hope I haven't as I've sort of planned my planting around his height :(

 

Why dont you remove all the brown leaves and you will probably find the rest of it will pick up in the growing season..my cordyline had brown leaves and i removed them and it just picked up and carried on growing ..

 

The wind is doing it for me WF!!!! You can't make it out from the pic but my gardens on quite a slope - don't fancy standing on a ladder out there!!! I'll get eye-candy gardening helper to do it for me - he's a foot and half taller than me!!!!
The leaves aren't yellowing at all - there just dying and it really looks very, very poorly indeed :eek:

 

It is right against your fence
Your neighbour wouldn't have sprayed or anything?
Or did you?

 

The only thing my neighbour does in their garden is collect dog -mess!!!

Oh God, I just thought - I did put some weed and feed stuff on the lawn :eek: :eek: It's that isn't it?? I've poisoned it with my stupidity :( :(

 

Well if that is what has caused the problem, then you may well have just 'hurt' the tree rather than killed it. It may well be established enough to be able to recover
Keep your fingers crossed
And DON'T do it again

 

:( opps, never use weed and feed, if that is what it was ...

A) It don't work
B) Unless your lawn is perfect to start with it kills everything
C) It runs off and annoys cordylines

I hope it is all ok Windy, its a lovely specimen.
I don't know what to suggest if it is that.

Fingers and other appendages crossed. :(

 

I didn't realise :( Next time I'll ask someone on here what to do :( I've been out there tonight willing it to live.

'Appendages' BM???? :D :D :D

 

I dont know for sure but I dont THINK weed and feed would kill a cordyline.
I seem to remember last year some time, someone posting about dying cordylines and I think they also came from Cornwall.
I cant remember if we ever got to the bottom of it or if the thread just fizzled out.
Anyway windy it does seem to have deteriorated from last summer, it looks to me like its had a massive thrashing from the wind or salt spray.
Are you anywhere near the coast?