Yellow Phormium

owd potter

No, not a new variety...
These 2, very kindly gifted by @Yviestevie, have been living happily in large pots for a couple of years now, they have grown and I love them as statement plants at the front of the house.

However, they but seem to be looking a slightly sickly yellowish colour, the 2nd more so than the 1st, which I don't recall them looking last year.
Is this normal for these plants at this time of year and simply old fronds dying back, or is it a nutrient deficiency thing, them being in the same container for 2 years?
I have dressed them with BFB each spring but maybe I need to treat them with summat more, sequestered iron maybe?
your thoughts appreciated. 
 

bertrand-mabel

How strange as we looked at ours in the ground today and remarked how so much die back has happened and the yellowing of the foliage.

Maybe others will come up with an answer as we don't know why ours has...not died...but not doing as we usually see it.

Fairygirl

They often need dividing every few years to keep their variegation - some more than others, and certainly when in pots. They do need more watering in pots too. Even though they like free draining conditions, they still need well watered. The foliage prevents a lot getting in, which isn't such a problem in the ground as they can still access it from around them. 
You can also take off all the poorest foliage, right back in at the base, which helps, and they'll produce more.
There's also a mite which can affect them, but that produces what looks like rust. I get a lot of that, and the foliage just gets cut back at this time of year to refresh it. 

Posy

The frosts and cold winds can cause damage like that with ours. Could I just add that those pots look very small for such a big plant.

Fairygirl

Yes - those need the old foliage removed, dividing, and repotting a fresh bit in the pots, with the rest going elsewhere. 
It's normal for them to look rough after winter anyway 
There's a good chance the pots will have very little in them apart from roots.

owd potter

Thanks folks.
Dividing. Eeek, that's not going to be a simple task with these two.
How would you tackle something like that here?
Literally to divide them, removing them from the pot and chop in two with a shovel? 
which would destroy the appearance of the plants tho'. 

owd potter

We have certainly had a lot of cold wind @Posy and they are quite exposed, especially the one on the corner in pic 2. Maybe that explains why that one is yellower than the first.
The pots were the largest that I could find at the time, but they have grown considerably in the 2 years that I have had them.    

Fairygirl

I use a saw on mine. Discard any rubbish and replant the good bits. You'd easily get three plants out of those.
Alternatively, just take off all the damaged leaves, and re pot

GardenerSuze

@owd potter Not easy to do and mind your eyes. If you look closely at the base you will see where to divide them. They grow in small clumps.

owd potter

thanks @Fairygirl
I think I'll tackle them one at a time.
Maybe split the worst one this year and top dress the second one for now. Then divide that next year with practice. 

Fairygirl

It can take a bit of effort, but it certainly helps with the variegated ones, because they can lose a lot of it. As long as you get a piece with a viable amount of root, they grow away quite easily. They can be a bit wobbly early on if the pieces are smaller, so you can always put a basic bit of support in with pieces until they get established.
Sometimes, you can get away with just removing all the dodgy foliage back to the base, but ultimately you get a congested clump in a pot. It happens in the ground too, but they manage better in the ground.