By 24quarryroad
United Kingdom 
My cordylines which died in winter 2010 and we're cut right down because of the smell they created are now growing vigorously. They as yet show no trunk but are extremely bushy and wide and not at all attractive. What should I do to them ? Do I need to strip away side growth to create a trunk? Also, they are very near the house and block light so if I wanted to really get rid of them how would I do it? They seem indestructible!
Thank you,
Janet Galbraith
14 Mar, 2016
Okay, there's two questions in there - first, the bushy growth. You can certainly cut away any fans of growth you don't want, leaving just one or two or however many you do want - any you do leave will eventually form their own stems and then trunks, over time, so deciding which to keep is quite important because you don't want any large stem or trunk in your way or blocking any view.
Second, removal - obviously, despite the slime flux they succumbed to after cold winter damage, the roots of your plants are just fine, which is why they're growing again. If you want to remove them, have them removed/ bored out, or you can drill into them and apply SBK brushwood killer to the wells or small holes you make, cover and leave. With this method, though, you'll still have the stumps sitting in the ground - they'll rot over time, but it will take a while.
14 Mar, 2016