Cordyline slime flux develops when a damaged part of the stem becomes colonised by bacteria that normally reside harmlessly in the soil or on the stem surface. Any factor that injures the stem can lead to the problem developing, however, the 2011problems wereconnected to frost damageto the bark and roots. The bacteria penetrate deep into the stem tissues, and when the sugary sap rises in spring this is fermented by the bacteria to produce the foul-smelling slime. Gasses are also produced which force the slime out under pressure and may result in further stem splitting. A range of bacterial species, as well as other organisms such as yeasts and fungi, are often found within the slime, all taking advantage of the sugars within the sap. Other trees, shrubs and climbers C. Australis can tolerate temperatures of -5 but only if planted in a sheltered area. In coastal regions, it can cope well with temperatures as low as 1. More tender varieties will need to be protected in winter and kept at temperatures of 5-15°C

Cordyline / RHS Gardening

Cordylines can be susceptible to a few different diseases, these are the ones that most commonly cause problems: Leaf Spot Cordyline australis is one of the species you’ll most often see in cultivation. It resembles yucca and has long, dark, narrow leaves. There are several cultivars of this species, including ‘Dark Star’ with reddish leaves, ‘Jive’ that grows like a small tree, and ‘Pink Champagne’ with leaves of green, cream, and pink variegation. Write: DIY Garden (Harris Creative Ltd), Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA Research the height and spread of your cordyline, which will give you an idea of how it's going to grow into its spaceCordyline should not be allowed to completely dry out, especially in the growing season. Water them deeply rather than little and often. These plants can be damaged by fluoride, so if you live in an area where the tap water is high in fluoride you should water them with rainwater. Indoor plants can be watered with distilled water if necessary. Container grown plants will need regular watering in summer, but far less in winter when they are not growing. Avoid having your plant sit in cold, wet soil. Soil Requirements

Cordylines -Tips from Garden Centre in North London UK Caring for Cordylines -Tips from Garden Centre in North London UK

Tie the foliage together ina bunch – thiswill reduce wind damage and prevent water collecting in the growing points and causing rot. Cordyline fruticosa includes the ‘Soledad Purple’ cultivar which has striking, large green leaves. The younger leaves are tinted with purple and the flowers are light purple. However, purely because it would have been a major undertaking to remove them, we just cut the main stem down to almost ground level in the spring with the idea of hiding the stumps with other planting around them. Full sun is ideal for green-leaved cordylines, but light shade is preferable for those with colourful or variegated leaves, asstrong suncan fade their rich hues.It looks equally good in city or coastal gardens and anywhere you want to add an element of the exotic. These plants are woody-stemmed shrubs, often grown for their attractive evergreen foliage. The sword-like leaves are shades of green, bronze, reddish orange and purple. As they grow, they lose their lower leaves and begin to look like stately palm trees. Don't give up hope yet, Beth - we also had a couple of big, old cordylines that looked dead after the harsh winter we had last year. This cultivar variety has green leaves that are striped with red at the centre. It reaches a mature height of around 4 metres (13 feet). Less Hardy Varieties

How to grow cordyline / RHS Gardening

Cordylines are best planted in spring, after the last frost. This gives them time to get established before winter, increasing their chances of survival.Root and stem rot can be caused by the Fusarium pathogen. This is often caused by excessive watering or poor drainage. Allow plants to almost dry out before watering so that the roots are not sitting in wet soil. Avoid watering the stem itself and direct the water at the root area. Cordyline Slime Flux These shrubs should be planted out in spring. This allows them to get established before cold winter weather. There are 15 different cordyline plant varieties. There may be several different varieties of cordyline at your local nursery that have varying patterns and colors. Some of them prefer slightly different conditions than others. That said, their core care remains the same. You should feel free to select your cordyline based on which one you like best, not necessarily its specific requirements.

Cordyline australis - Big Plant Nursery Cordyline australis - Big Plant Nursery

Finally, when the growing season truly gets under way for Cordylines, around May, then either give a top dressing of organic fertilizer or slow release fertilizer granules. I also like to supplement this by giving the cordylines a regular light liquid feed every week through June and July when they’re really motoring away Cordyline does best in a sunny spot, though they can cope with semi-shade. Those with vibrant foliage should be planted out of scorching sunshine to prevent the leaf colour fading. Water Requirements Taketerminal (shoot tip) cuttings that are 10–15cm (4–6in) long. Remove all the leaves apart from the terminal tuft. Tender species, such as Cordyline marginata, C. strictaand C. fruticosa(syn. C. terminalis), are best grown in containers, so they can easily be moved indoors over winter. Move themto a frost-free location, such as a greenhouse, porch or conservatory. You can also give them temporary shelter in a shed or garage during cold snaps.There are several species of cordyline – most are tender or not fully hardy, so should be kept frost-free or protected over winter. Fungal leaf spot diseases can cause discolouration of the leaves. To prevent this problem, water the roots of the plant rather than the leaves or stem. Water early in the day so that any water that splashed the leaves has a chance to dry out before the temperature cools. It is also good to ensure plenty of air circulation around the plant. This cultivar variety has green leaves with cream stripes which can be up to 60 cm in length. It reaches an ultimate height of 4 metres (13 feet). C. Australis ‘Sundance’ Much to our surprise, both of them started shooting from the base again so what was a single stemmed 'tree', became a multi stemmed feature over the course of the year! If planting in the ground, it is worth digging in some well-rotted manure before planting as these are quite hungry plants. If drainage is poor, add plenty of horticultural grit.