I rather naively planted a cordyline in my garden and it’s now more than 8ft tall. I’d like to transplant it. When would be the best time to do this and how should I go about it?
Cordylines (aka cabbage trees) are notoriously difficult to transplant. They have fleshy roots that don’t take easily to being chopped off and the roots go down farther than you’d imagine. If you reduce the root mass there needs to be resulting reduction in top growth, and that’s not easy to do to a cordyline without ruining its looks.
If you want to try to transplant it, the best time to do it is right now, in early spring, once the chance of hard frost has passed. You will have to water it all summer so it doesn’t dry out while it establishes, and be prepared for it to look ugly as it drops half its leaves in shock at the move. Cordylines are not that expensive, so it may be easier to buy a new one. Planting it would certainly be a lot easier.
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