Anyone else got a palm that's dying?

[InterruptingCow]

I have a beautiful palm tree in my garden, about 10 years old and about 10 feet tall. Normally the fronds at the bottom turn brown and fall off but lately green fronds have been falling off, sometimes in clumps, and it's turning brown at the top. My mum says the same thing is happening to the two palms in her garden. Is this a reaction to the very cold winter we've had or could it be some disease, although we're in Hertfordshire and mum is in Yorkshire so it seems unlikely that the same thing is affecting both gardens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that mine might grow back but is this likely?

[TheSpook]

If it's a cordyline then it was the cold weather.
I have had one in my garden for 20 years.
In the snow in November the temperature reached -16C.
When I finally ventured out I noticed it was all brown. When I got hold of it it was slimy and fell to bits.
Ever since I've been noticing them in gardens everywhere, all dead.

[JillJ72]

Same with ours, and others I have seen, the one exception being a mighty beast I can see from my bedroom window - in someone else's garden - it's happily green and perky. We're in Bucks.

[Mirage]

If it is a yucca,it is the wind and damp that has done for it.I'm a gardener and have spent the past few weeks cutting them back to sound wood.If you cut it back to beyond the rotten bit it should resprout.They are pretty hard to kill.Cordylines are less hardy,but if they aren't completely rotten,they can be treated the same way.If it is a proper palm then it is likely that the extreme temps have been too much for it,but you could leave it and see what happens.

[InterruptingCow]

Not sure if it's a yucca or a cordyline. Cutting it back might be difficult as it's so tall and I don't have step ladder that will reach. I might just leave it and see if it will grow back. Such a shame, though, as it was a real beauty. Everyone who visited used to comment on it and, when it flowered, it attracted loads of bees to the garden.

[MavisEnderby]

Yep,my yucca that was in the garden died,as has everyone elses down our street.Very cold weather I think:(.rip yucca,it was dps and about 15 years old

[peeriebear]

I've seen loads of dead palms in people's gardens after the bitter winter :( My yucca is a stout hardy thing and is still alive, though one of its branches snapped off under the weight of snow.

[Professor]

Do you just dig them up and bin them then?...all mine are droopy, brown and slimy.

[inthesticks]

I pulled all the slimy top off my cordyline and binned it. The stump will be dug up when I my back feels up to it.
I had threatened to dig it up last year as I could never get all the brown bits off. Must have heard

[ethelina]

We had 2 die last winter. Have bought a new one and this year I have gone back to wrapping the roots with gardeners fleece and tying the leaves up. So far, its still alive, just thinking tentatively about unwrapping it this weekend if the weather stays milder.

[Mirage]

Interupting,if it had white flowers,then it sounds like a yucca.Can you cut it down near the base? It will grow back,but will be more bush like for a while.While I was out today another customer rang asking me to go and take her yuccas down,so it is a widespread problem [but good for business,I suppose].

[InterruptingCow]

I could try and cut it back. It has a very thick trunk and is about 10 feet tall with the fronds starting maybe 7 feet up. How far back should I cut it? Very close to the base?

[Mirage]

Yes,near the base is best.The ones I cut down were 10ft plus,but luckily they aren't very dense/heavy,and I got through them with a little pruning saw.If yours is near a building or anything that could get damaged,it might be a good idea to have someone with a rope attached to it to guide it in the right direction.Good luck!

[InterruptingCow]

Thanks, Mirage. I'll give that a go.