My poor daphne

Vikkihowell

Hi guys new to the site but I have a very sad Daphne and I don't know how to help her. She was a very poor specimen from a well-known company but not like to give up I've kept her pretty much ok a bit top heavy but finally flowering I've had her 6-7 years. Well a palette fell on her and then the snow came and this is her now. I have a silky boy should I chop the top and hope she sprouts new growth repair or give up thank you in advance V
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BobFlannigon

That looks too low to cut off, I think and I'm not sure Daphne's like hard pruning- and this would be a fair few steps up from that!  If in doubt use duct tape!  Get it as tightly wound as you can, a bit like grafting it.  It might recover, the leaves do still look healthy.

BobTheGardener

While those broken stems are still attached to the roots, you could use this as an opportunity to make new plants by layering them.  It does take about a year before the layered stems grow enough roots to support themselves though.  Advice on layering is here: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=358

I'm sure there was a TV program (maybe GW) where they layered a daphne (your looks like Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata', by the way), by cutting 2 notches out of opposite sides of a plant pot, laying a branch between the slots and filling the pot with compost, after nicking the bottom of the branch with a sharp knife at the point it will be buried inside the pot.  That way you can see when roots have filled the pot so know when it is safe to cut the branch from the mother plant.  The area will look messy for a year though.

Alternatively, try Bob's idea and take some semi-ripe heel cuttings in mid to late summer if it is still alive by then.

Vikkihowell

Thank you both for your advice. Let me know if what I say is ok as I do get funny ideas lol. 
Ok so with this layering can I tape a pot to the stem leave the branches as they are and fill the pot with soil. The branches all come off the centre stem and has always been top heavy. And then once or more likely if it roots lol then cut it from the main stem and get rid of the main plant. 
V

BobTheGardener

Yes, that's essentially it, V.  Just found the technique I mentioned on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TsWnh_FcPs

😊

Vikkihowell

Wonderful thank you great video lol I shall save him x

Vikkihowell

Just thought I’d update on my daphne. I couldn’t get the pots to stay on defied my fibro brain lol. But and I actually can’t believe this she’s sprouting new leaves on her trunk. So now there’s about 8 of them I’ve lopped off the top lol. Hopefully that’ll encourage the new growth lol. Fingers crossed.