Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am writting from Greece (forgive my poor english). A month ago I bought 5 Cordyline australis plants to place them in my veranda (9th floor). I planted them in five different pots with a self watering system I bought from IKEA. Unfortunatelly this system didnt work well and the plants have started to turn brown and dry. I realise it was due to too much watering. The soil was completly wet and smelly like mould. Yesterday I have taken them out of the pots, threw away the self watering system opened a hole in the bottom of each pot and used the pots as normal pots, put some soft stones in the bottom and then replanted the plants.
I have cut all the dried leaves from the very bottom and some that were half dried I cut them from the point where the dryness was starting. Now I am hoping that they will slowly start getting healthy again.
Do you think this is possible, was I correct or did I do somehting wrong?
Please reply to me as soon as possible.
Thank you

ANSWER: Kalimera Nina,
Thanx for your question.  Your command of the English language looks fine to me!

Yes, it is possible, some or all of the plants may have been saved before the waterlogging could completely devastate them.  It sounds like you did the right thing.  You are making sure the pots are free draining and no standing water to cause root rot.  Now, it will just be a question of time and hopefully, the plants will recover.  I hope this helps.
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Tom,
Thank you for your answer. Unfortunatelly not all the 5 plants have survived. Only one is completely healthy, one looks also healthy but has some dry brown leaves at the outer bottom part of the plant.( I think I have just to clean them). Two have been completely dried out but there are two new born ones (one in each pot)coming out of the soil in the pots. Finally the last one looks also dead but in the inner centre of the plant among all the dry leaves there are some new green ones. What would you suggest to do with the dead plants and the new ones? Could I remove the new born and place them together to a pot or would that harm them? Any advices? Thank you. Nina

Answer
Hi Nina,
Thanx for the additional information.  Now that the pots are free draining and it appears that most of the plants have survived I wouldn't transplant them until they are strong and robust.  Transplant shock might finish them off.  Give them a little 1/2 strength balanced fertilizer 12-12-12 or fish emulsion (half strength) every 10 days.  Make sure the pots remain free draining and sunlight.  This plant is pretty hardy and it sounds like it is making a comeback.  I would leave them in their original pots until they have recovered from the original waterlogging.  I hope this helps.
Tom