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Here ’s the deal on Crepe Myrtle care . The Crepe Myrtle plant ( Lagerstroemia indica ) is a highly successful improver to any curtilage or garden landscape painting in the southerly United States ( USDA hardiness zona 6 to 9 ) .
It is beautiful class - one shot with abundant showy bloom and lush greenish folio in the spring and summer .
Crepe Myrtle trees put on a dramatic foliage display
On many Crepe Myrtle tree varieties , the leaves wrench bright gloss in the fall . These interesting trees and bushes also expose attractive crepe myrtle barque in the wintertime .
In many areas of the South , Crepe Myrtles also called Crape Myrtles or Crapemyrtles have go native or become naturalized .
In these place , Crepe Myrtles pretty well farm unwarranted and the idea that you would postulate any program line on how to care for crepe myrtle tree may even be considered ludicrous by gardeners who get hold themselves literally pose it back with a machete .
Nonetheless , if you do not have Crepe Myrtle trees or if you live in one of the areas where it does n’t grow with quite such raging unconstraint you may observe yourself needing a little bit of information on how to get it started and help it thrive .
In this clause , we will divvy up some smart entropy on giving your Crepe Myrtle tree diagram the best start , caring for it and disperse it to share with ally . Read on to learn more .
Where Did Crepe Myrtle Trees Come From?
Some type of Crepe Myrtle trees are aboriginal to the southerly United States , peculiarly Florida . Some types add up from Japan .
Crepe Myrtle varies in growing habits and range in size from as diminished as 3′ to 6′ feet tall to as tall as 30′ feet tall . Classifications include miniature , shadow crepe myrtle , average , and standard .
Most Crepe Myrtle Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree you see in southern one thousand and garden are of the following varieties :
Photo Credit: Instagram @chihiroppy7
LagerstroemiaIndica
TheLagerstroemia indica , a canonic variety of the common Crepe Myrtle , comes in a routine of different sizing , growing riding habit . Some aresmall shrubs , and some are medium - size tree . The grandiloquent types grow more erect , while the bushes tend to spread .
genus Lagerstroemia indicais extremely heating plant and drought resistant . Also , it can prosper in even very piteous soil as long as drainage is right .
While some sub - varieties may suffer from cold in the upper Confederate States of America , if you take Hopi , Centennial Spirit or Acoma you should have no job in these area .
In areas of in high spirits humidity , you may have trouble with powdery mold .
If you have this kind of environment , you are well propose to choose a cultivar ofLagerstroemia indicanamed for a aboriginal American tribe , such as Hopi , Miami or Zuni .
All of these are resistant to mould . If you do have a problem with mildew , you may spray with a mildew treatment such as Funginex .
LagerstroemiaFauriei
Fauriei , also known as Japanese Crepe Myrtle , is especially unfearing and mould resistant . It grow very tall and erect ( up to 30′ foundation tall ) .
Fauriei sports small white flowers and light green leaves during the grow season . The leaves turn yellow in the autumn .
In the wintertime it presents an interesting show of gray barque which flakes aside to a deep , cinnamony dark-brown color underneath .
Two well - known hoagy species of this variety are Kiowa and Fantasy , both of which are well - known for their very sporty bark in the winter .
LagerstroemiaSpeciosa
TheLagerstroemia speciosa , also know as Queen ’s Crepe Myrtle , comes from the tropical S in the United States , where it thrives . It does not spring up elsewhere .
Throughout the tropical south , Crepe Myrtle provides a lucullan and abundant show year - round .
Trees are about 30′ foot marvelous and variation load of flush in purple , lilac , pink and livid throughout the months of June and July .
Blossoms and leave are all impressively large with single flower being as big as 3″ inches across and foot - recollective leaf .
Queen Crepe Myrtle is such an enthusiastic raiser that is very significant to dress it back dramatically in the winter to keep its size under mastery .
Crepe Myrtle Care: Pruning!
Because Crepe Myrtle trees are so often overwhelming in its growth habits , many hoi polloi take a very strong-growing stance whenpruning . Do n’t succumb to this desire by chop up your Crepe Myrtle down to ground level in the late fall .
If you do this , you will terminate up with spindly and unattractive new growth from ugly stumps in the springtime . employ common signified and simply trim off the top 2′ or 3′ feet of your branches just before spring . Do this cautiously with loppers or pruning hook rather than using anelectric hedge trimmer .
Be sure to reduce even with side branches of Crepe Myrtle so you do not have surly , stubby stumps sticking out . Cutting smoothly along the root word , crotch or trunk present a prettier silhouette and help oneself protect your tree diagram from penetration by disease .
How to prune small crepe myrtle ?
Pruned wrong … the bush can get ugly . Steve Bender AKA “ The Grumpy Gardener ” even has a competition for the spoilt pruning has been call “ crepe slaying ” by a local wholesale grower .
They often refer to it as … the prunage rite !
Homeowners draw theirpruning shearsout of hibernation and make their annual pilgrimage to their front and backyards for the crepe myrtle prune - off ! It ’s a occupation that must be done for these coloured trees to show their stuff .
To help pruning Crepe Myrtle tree correctly , Steve has put together a step by step pruning guide you could check out at this contact about Crepe MyrtlePruning footstep - by - Step – The Daily South
It always good to get remark from several experts , so to tot to Steve ’s tutorial , Brent Wilson of Gardenality has a gracious tutorial as well .
brant goose talks about not allowing “ peer pressure ” from the neighbor to pop out pruning too early . brant says , “ the best prison term to trim crepes in is former winter or other spring – just prior to Modern growth emerge . ”
He also has some nice graphics for pruning good practices . Read Brent ’s tutorial on – Pruning pedagogy For Crepe Myrtle Trees – From Gardenality
Many designers recommend planting in odd numbers like 1,3,5 and so on . Why not give you the same with Crepe Myrtle pruning – 3 tutorials !
The family line over at Fine Gardening agree with Steve and Brent … few people cut French pancake myrtle aright . Pruning correctly produces Tree that are shape gracefully and have more blooms abide upright on strong stems .
Do You Have To Live In The South To Grow Crepe Myrtle?
more often than not speaking , these tree and President George W. Bush do well in the very ardent and humid tropical South ; however , distinctly there are varieties of Lagerstroemia crepe Vinca minor trees do well in the cooler northern areas .
When choosing your saplings at the garden center , be certain to read the labels cautiously . Make certain the type being offered is a type that will do well in your area .
You should also remember that your garden center is not the only station to get Crepe Myrtle . One way of being sure of getting a type that will do well in your area is to take cuttings or dig up saplings from exist thriving local trees and bushes . Be sure to postulate your neighbors before you do this .
These outgoing blossoming plants may also issue forth right to you ! If you live next door to someone who has Crepe Myrtle , be on the watch for volunteer along your fence line . If a tree volunteers to survive in your railway yard , you’re able to be reasonably certain it will do well ! [ source ]
Planting Crepe Myrtle Saplings Successfully
When planting purchase Crepe Myrtle sapling , follow these step to ensure succeeder .
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Crepe Myrtle Tree Care
As observe , Crepe Myrtle Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree often come through and boom all on its own with little or no care whatsoever . Be that as it may for optimum performance , take attentiveness of the following tips .
Observe your plants carefully to catch any diseases or problem as they emerge . Some common problems include black mold , powdery mildew and leaf office , all of which can be treat by spraying with antimycotic .
Powdery mildew , a diseasecaused by the fungus ( Erysiphe genus Lagerstroemia ) , stunts and distorts the leaves .
It come out as a white powdery hair on leaves , staunch , and shoot of Crepe Myrtle . Although not fatal , powdery mildew often cause dwarfing and death of foliage .
Be advised that bleak mold is the solvent of aphid infestation .
If you notice aphids on your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or bush , treat with insecticidal Georgia home boy first . This should take care of the aphids and resolve your mold matter .
This should take forethought of the aphid and resolve yoursooty clay sculpture problems . If it does not clear up the mold , follow up with fungicide .
Crepe Myrtle may also experience colony ofbark licethat do not harm the plant life .
How To Propagate Crepe Myrtle
As mentioned , if you hold out in the South and have Crepe Myrtle shrubs living nearby , you may very well find them volunteering in your grounds . If you do n’t have the patience to expect , you’re able to also distribute Crepe Myrtle very easy . When you see a specimen Crepe Myrtle that catches your eye , ask its proprietor if you could take a cut or gather some ejaculate . [ source ]
Sow Seeds
To maturate from seed , you would need to gather the seminal fluid . The process of flower turning to seed is somewhat lengthy and complex . Here are the point you should watch for .
This net step take place in the autumn . At this point , you could gather the seeds and save them to seed in the early spring . you could await until all risk of frost has pass on and press the seeds into the land outdoors , or you could sow in them indoors in the beginning to give them a head start .
To do this , simply sate small sess with a good quality of potting soil late in the springtime and squeeze the seeds into the top of the soil . Sprinkle a bit ofsphagnum mossover the seed and put the pot into a growing tray or a plastic grow bag . Keep it at about 75 ° degrees Fahrenheit in a well - lit locating and learn for germination within a couplet of week .
Grow Crepe Myrtle From Roots
Crepe Myrtle can also be grow from root . To do this , you would simply dig up small voluntary trees or suckers early on in the spring and reassign them into muckle .
Transplanted Crepe Myrtle saplings do need a little bit of special caution . You should keep them in weed in a sheltered location with sizeable warmth and sunlight until they are well established as potted saplings .
Recommended indication : Minimizing Tree Transplant electrical shock
Take A Crepe Myrtle Cutting
It is also very well-situated to circularize by Crepe Myrtle cuttings . Be sure to clip off your cut at the degree where the stem meet the chief branch . It should be about six or 8 inch in distance , and it should have three or four node ( lump along the theme where leaves emerge ) .
Be sure to take cut during the growing season ( natural spring or summertime ) . Once you ’ve taken your Crepe Myrtle thinning , get it home as quick as potential and remove all of the foliage except for the ones at the very tip of the cutting . Dip the cutting intorooting hormoneto improve your hazard of achiever .
Plant your Crepe Myrtle cutting in a pot of dampish sand and potting mix to a depth of about 3″ to 4″ in . treat it with a formative bagful and keep it in a lovesome , well - lit place . It should root very well within a calendar month .
Remember To Acclimate
When transition any of your new saplings to the outdoors , it ’s a good idea to take your metre and give them a luck to acclimate . Do this by setting the pots outdoors for a few time of day a mean solar day once all danger of frost has passed .
When you see that your small Crepe Myrtle saplings seem to be grow and flourish with exposure to outdoor weather , you will know that it is time to transplant them to their lasting fix . Be sure to provide lots of full sun , plenty of water and well - drained filth for best resultant .
