T Rex, Tetrepanax Help needed, is mine still alive??

[Andrewwhelan]

Hi guys, I have an approx 2-3 year old tetrapanx Trex. It is potted all year round in a large pot. It does very well usualy ang grows very quick during the summer months, throws up stacks of pups and so on.

However when I have brought it in this winter it hasnt done so well. It was still looking pretty good just 6 weeks or so ago, had a nice fist like growing point, nice big green leaves etc etc

However if you watch the vid link, you will see the growing point has shrivled up, this has now gone and all I have is the stem. The stem has not rotted or died down, its still completely intact, the growing head just died off.

Is the Rex still alive? What shall I do with it do you think?

Thank you for anyones help. Hope its not dead, had such big leaves last summer.

Video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzABGhQB3hQ

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzABGhQB3hQ[/media]

[dave2166]

it doesnt look great if i'm honest... and it 2 to 3 years old, seems to me to be quite small, at that age i'd expect the main stem to be 3 feet high, and 2 inches diameter..

mine are now into year 3, year 2 in the ground, and are growing nicely...

i'd say you have been a bit to kind to it and it would been better in the ground. they need good feeding and watering, when you consider the growth they put on you can see they need a good care regime...

certainly the growth tip doesnt fill me with hope, but you never know... the fact its in a pot means the roots will be restricted and so their natural propagation route of sending up offsets will be limited... i got over 30 new plants from mine last year in the ground

have you checked whats going on in the pot... ???
i'd say you need to think about looking for a new one

[Nigel Fear]

I'd give it a little longer yet though, the stem still looks pretty solid, and from the video it looks like one or two little buds might be forming just a little down from the main growth point.

[Dave Brown]

Difficult to say for sure, but remember that TRex cannot tolerate overwatering or standing in any water. The result is very quick root death and rotting. If it has been indoors and not growing but in wet compost the roots have probably had it.