What's wrong with my Cordylines?

M

Mezo

Member
12
03/08/15
0
21
Brisbane, Australia
Hi guys, just wondering if anyone could shed some light on what's wrong with my Cordylines (sorry, can't remember exact species).

I bought these plants this past autumn (it's now early spring here). I originally thought the discolouring/yellowing of the leaves might have just been a side effect of a few cold nights this winter (down to about 5c/40f at night for a week or so at a time during the worst of it). But, now I'm not so sure as the bigger plant of the three looks like it has the same problem on the new growth.

They are in full direct sunlight from late morning until about 4 pm everday. Could it be sunburn? Or something else? I'd just like to know the best course of action to get them looking good again.

20151005_113757.jpg

For reference, here's a photo from about 5 months ago when they were looking healthy.

20150531_121632.jpg
 
Looks to be to much direct sun. Do you know what sun conditions the plants were growing in when you got them? Looking at the new growth on the plants they look as if they are now getting adjusted to the sun conditions and may be returning to their original look. Keep watching them as you head into your summer months and if the red coloring continues to golden reduce the hours of direct sun. The red varieties can be tricky with full sun conditions and I have found that most are happy in 4 hrs direct summer sun here or in filtered sun conditions and even shade conditions.
 
I think Scott is correct. All plants, if grown under shade, will undergo acclimation trauma if planted directly in many hours of direct sun. And as he said, it looks as if the new leaves are already acclimating.

Having said that, depending on your climate, some will do better in full sun, and some will look better with half day sun. This is something that you will just have to feel out. But with Ti Plants that is easy. When they get a little bigger you can just cut off the top and plant in another location.

But at any rate, your plants look as if they are growing. So, just don't let them dry out too much as the sun gets hotter for you over the next several months.
 
Ok, thanks guys. I think your theories are probably spot on. I have a few others growing in filtered sun and they've held their color just fine. These plants were purchased from a hardware store garden center and I'm pretty sure they would have been grown under shade cloth for most of their early life. In hindsight, maybe I should have left them in their original pots and gradually moved them in to the sun to get them acclimatized. These are in a new garden bed that I'm trying to get established, though, so my own impatience is to blame for rushing them out in to the sun. I will keep an eye on them as the growing season progresses and see if they come good.

Love the forum, btw. I've read through the entire propagation thread and now that spring has kicked in I finally have some cuttings and seedlings that are starting to take off! I'm itching to get them out in the garden, but after this experience I will be taking my time and nursing them along.
 
Mezo, When it comes to the Cordyline plant the sun conditions play a big part in the overall color of the plant. I have found many Cordyline take on a total different look in the different light conditions. I have the habit these days of keeping them in pots and moving them around until I see the look I like. Some of my seedlings are still in pots after 4 years and get moved around a couple times of the year to learn what it likes as far as sun. Here is a 4 year old seedling that was in my mind to toss after this year. The plant was a slow growing one showing no color. The pot ended up sitting in morning till late afternoon full sun conditions and I think I may have hit on its like. I now like the look and will not toss this one.
IMG_1364.JPG
 
Here is a example of the same Cordyline looking different in sun conditions. The mother plant in full sun with a rooted cutting from same plant (insert photo) growing in shade.
pizap.com14441741592521.jpg
 
That's a great example. I find it odd that so many websites tell you that sun brings out the best color when it seems to be the opposite. ie more shade seems to equal darker more saturated colors. Wheras more sun seems to burn it out.
 
Mezo said:
That's a great example. I find it odd that so many websites tell you that sun brings out the best color when it seems to be the opposite. ie more shade seems to equal darker more saturated colors. Wheras more sun seems to burn it out.
Click to expand...
It's like a lot of things in life - it's all a matter of degree. What some guy is calling shade, might be called bright light by another - or deep shade by someone else.

But I don't think that deep shade is the best for cordylines. And I mean "deep shade." I have found that dappled light to bright light seems to work well.

Problem is that if you are in a moderate climate, lack of sun can also mean lack of warmth, so that doesn't work well either. Whereas in the more tropical areas, it still remains plenty warm in the shade.
 
I have another on for you guys. The plant below (which was taken as a cutting from a mature Cordyline Firestorm plant) has been growing happily for the last 5 - 6 months, regularly putting out new leaves. However, when I went outside last weekend I noticed that (almost overnight) it had developed the yellowing/browning you can see around the edges of the leaves and a number of rust like spots. Seems to be the only plant in that bed that has been affected and as you can see the new leaf that's coming out is unaffected.

20160611_111304.jpg
20160611_111310.jpg


Any idea what this is and what could have caused it? The only thing of note that occurred between when it looked good and when I noticed the problem was we had a day long downpour (about 100mm) of rain after a long dry spell.
 
A 5-6 month old cutting has not achieved its mature rhizomatuous root system, therefore the dry soil from lack of rain was more likely the cause of this problem.
 
I would tend to agree with Scott. While Ti plants are very drought tolerant, that doesn't mean they will look good without adequate water. They may not die, but they will look stressed, especially if it gets sunny and hot as well. And as Scott mentioned, if they are not 100% well established - even more so.
 
The thing is, its been dry and warmer than usual here for the last 6 months or so (late summer, autumn and early winter) and this cutting in particular has powered along with little more than a soak from the hose whenever the garden is looking dry. I also have plenty of other cuttings around the same age throughout the garden in sunnier positions that do little more than dry up a leaf or two whenever things get too dry. Never every leaf and so suddenly and rapidly like this.

I think there's something else at play here. The rust like spots in particular are something I've never seen from lack of water.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top