Friday, November 18, 2011

My crape myrtle has sticky leaves what is wrong with it?

It most likely has aphids on it look at the back side of the leaves

My crape myrtle has sticky leaves what is wrong with it?
Sounds like aphids.
Reply:You probably have scale...look for a tiny, brown, shell like thing, (kinda like the popcorn hull thingy that gets stuck in your gums)...scale suck on your plant, and drop sticky ooze, then you get black sooty mold...yikes! Will it ever end???


My Crape Myrtle isn't blooming. All the Crape Myrtles in the neighborhood are except mine. What is wrong?

Be patient! I said the same thing a few weeks back about ours and now they are beautiful.





Or try Bayer's Rose food. Bright yellow container. Sprinkle it in the soil and water it. It will feed the plant and keep it free from bugs and disease for up to six weeks.

My Crape Myrtle isn't blooming. All the Crape Myrtles in the neighborhood are except mine. What is wrong?
If your plant is vigorous ... especially if it is outgrowing its flowering cousins or has exceptionally dark green leaves ... the soil may have a very high nitrogen content. If so, keep the plant well-watered and don't be fertilizer-happy. The excess nitrogen will leach out over time.
Reply:Probably not enough sun, or maybe it needs fertilizer. Something is definitely wrong
Reply:They need fertilizer along with plenty water and sun. You should never trim them back if you want plenty blooms. You cut off next years blooms.
Reply:not all of the varieties bloom at the same time. they all have different bloom times.
Reply:Test the soil with one of em' fancy testers!!! Use miracle grow soil next time!!!


Crape Myrtles does anyone have photos of a pruned crape myrtle tree/bush?

I am trying to prune my trees (first year) they are about 5.5 ft tall I want them to stay full to cover pool equip. But I need details

Crape Myrtles does anyone have photos of a pruned crape myrtle tree/bush?
Betty! So glad you asked this question, and I hope it's not too late. Down here (in the Houston area) landscapers have a really BAD habit of pruning crepe myrtles in a dreadful manner...scalping them really. There is a better and more "humane" method (if we can use that word when dealing with trees?)


You're dead-on when you say it's time to prune. Now is the time. I'm going to drop you a link or two for more information, and wish you Happy Yardening!

flowers anniversary

My 12 yr. old crape myrtle didn't bloom much this year. any ideas?

my 12 year old natches crape mrytle put on quite a show last year and the year before. This year,in coastal NC, it didn't bloom very much and the blooms didn't last long while it was blooming. Didn't do anything different to it and it doesn't appear to have a diesease. I did water it at the base with a drip hose when our water table dropped and many other trees started suffering from the drought. I didn't water it much or for many days. Just watered it deep two times. Any ideas what could be wrong?

My 12 yr. old crape myrtle didn't bloom much this year. any ideas?
I attached a page that may give you some advice but I found this note on it....."Flowering is enhanced, however, if plants are watered during dry periods that occur during the flowering season." That may explain what happened this year with your crepe myrtle.





I hope the reference helps.
Reply:Crepes only bloom on new growth. Time for pruning?
Reply:Perhaps the soil has lost a great deal of it's nutrients?





Have you tried any fertilizers?





Maybe that sounds like a ridiculous question, but since crops are often rotated, perhaps this will help.





Good luck!
Reply:We have several crepe myrtles and here in the midlands of SC we had some late spring cold that affected both our crepe myrtles and dogwoods. Don't know if ya'll had a late cold, but that may have done it. And also, it is a good idea to do some heavy pruning sometimes to encourage more flowering.





good luck


Dwarf crape myrtle seeds?

I am looking for some dwarf crape myrtlette seeds. I know park seed has them but they want to charge 9.00 just to ship a small seed package.

Dwarf crape myrtle seeds?
I know a place near me that sells them.


How far apart should Crape Myrtle Trees be planted?

I recently purchased six Crape Mrytles(Red Rocket) variety. They are multi-trunk and we will probably keep them that way. The plan is to place them in groups of three at each rear corner of our backyard and let them grow as trees(not hedges). They would also be placed like in a triangle, not in a row. I was wondering how many feet apart should they be planted from each other and how many feet away from the fence? I believe these trees will reach a height on average 20 feet, and the width averages about 20 feet as well. I am located in the South(Central Texas). I do want them grouped together close when they reach maturity, but since they are small trees right now, I want to make sure I plant them the right distance apart so that when they reach their maximum height and width, they aren't too close that it does them harm.

How far apart should Crape Myrtle Trees be planted?
They should be no less than 8' apart. Generally 8'-10', some say 10-15'. Searching key words spacing crepe myrtles gave me lots of great links. Happy Planting!!
Reply:if the mature spread will be twenty ft, then they should be separated by ten ft ... it will take several years for them to reach that height and width, but they will.............





http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/3012...
Reply:6-10 feet. Unless you are keeping them cut back and making them into shrubs, then they would be 3-7 feet.


Why hasn't my crape myrtle come back out?

We have just purchased a home and it has about 6 crape myrtles which were pruned before we purchased. This plants have yet to bloom back out this year and I am wondering if they are just late to return or if a late freeze in our area this year has harmed them.

Why hasn't my crape myrtle come back out?
I am in Alabama and here the crape myrtles are just now flushing out. I would definetely give them more time but if you are wondering if they are alive, snip on a branch. If it is green, its alive. Also look for little "budlets" on the branches. More than likely they are just late from the cold. They might have already tried to bud out but the new growth was killed by the cold. You could just snip the ends of the branches until they are green. That will not only stimulate growth but will eliminate the areas damaged by cold.
Reply:Depends where you are. They will be back soon, mine just started and I'm in middle Georgia.
Reply:I live in the mountains in NC and we had a very late record cold snap. The trees are just barely budding now--that may be the problem (the cold). The other thing is they may have been pruned too early or too late. Try Southern Living Magazine's website--they usually have really good advice on gardening.
Reply:How should I prune my crapemyrtle?





If you select the right crapemyrtle for the size of the space where it will grow, you will only have to do minor pruning. Remove small twiggy branches inside the plant to promote good air circulation. You can gradually remove lower branches or suckers that grow from the base of the trunk if you want the plant to be a small tree. If you are dealing with an older plant that has been neglected, a heavier hand may be needed. Remove any dead branches and cut the living branches back slightly to promote more vigorous growth that results in better flowering.





Crapemyrtles are often injured in bitterly cold winters near the northern edge of their range and they are naturally one of the last of the deciduous ornamentals to begin growth in spring. It’s difficult to tell the extent of cold damage until growth begins, so wait until late spring or early summer to prune. Never prune crapemyrtles in the fall or winter, since it compromises their cold hardiness.





Crapemyrtles bloom on the current season’s growth, so they can be pruned in the spring and will still flower normally throughout the summer. Larger, heavier flower clusters and rank growth often result when the branches are cut back severely, and these flowers are often so heavy that they bend toward the ground. For this reason, we do not recommend the practice of pollarding or cutting the branches back to stubs every year.














How hardy are crapemyrtles?





Lagerstroemia indica and hybrids within this species are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 9 but are often killed to the ground in severe winters in Zone 7. Lagerstroemia fauriei is reliably hardy as far north as USDA Hardiness Zone 6. The USNA hybrids that have Lagerstroemia fauriei as a parent are hardier than Lagerstroemia indica cultivars, and develop into large specimens even in the colder parts of Zone 7. Varieties that have only Lagerstroemia indica parentage, such as the USNA hybrids ‘Catawba’, ‘Conestoga’, ‘Potomac’, ‘Powhatan’, ‘Cherokee’, and ‘Seminole’, are periodically cut back to the ground by severe winters. Even if a severe winter kills most of the top growth on your crapemyrtle, it is capable of growing back in a short time. Since they bloom on the new growth, the injured plants are able to produce flowers as well. In the coldest portions of their range, crapemyrtles probably won’t be able to develop a main trunk and the beautiful exfoliating bark that they are known for.





If you want to grow crapemyrtle in northern areas, various microclimates and cultural practices can enhance hardiness. Avoid excessive watering, pruning, or fertilizing in the fall which forces new growth that will not have time to harden off and is likely to be killed by winter cold. Avoid planting against south-facing walls which hold and radiate heat and may cause premature breaking of dormancy during brief winter warm spells. Established crapemyrtles fare much better than younger ones when it comes to withstanding the vagaries of winter weather because of their increased trunk size and decreased tendency to grow rampantly late in the season. Crapemyrtles are heat loving shrubs, and may not bloom well in cool climates.





Our most recent introductions, which are miniature plants that grow no more than three feet in height, are small enough to allow you to take some measures to protect them from winter cold. After leaf drop, you can mulch them heavily with leaves, straw, or another loose material to protect them from extremes in temperature. In areas where snow cover is deep and protects the ground from freezing deeply, the miniature crapemyrtles are worth a try, even though they are far north of the hardiness range stated here. Remember that they need plenty of summer heat to bloom well.














How should I care for my crapemyrtle?





Crapemyrtles revel in the full summer sun and heat, so find a place that meets these requirements and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. They grow best in any reasonably good soil with a pH of 5.0-6.5. They are adapted to poor soil and don’t need much fertilizer–a light application of 5-10-5 fertilizer in spring when growth begins is beneficial for older plants or those growing on extremely poor soil. Crapemyrtles can be planted at any time of the year, but in USDA zones 7 and 8, planting is best done in late spring or summer when the plants are actively growing. Recently transplanted plants should be given a thorough soaking at the time of planting and during dry periods for the first two seasons. Don’t irrigate plants in the autumn to help the growth harden off before winter comes. After the plants are well established in the landscape, avoid excess watering and fertilization to prevent rank vegetative growth at the expense of flowering. Crapemyrtles are tough plants–don’t kill them with kindness!














My crapemyrtle is reluctant to bloom. What am I doing wrong?





Crapemyrtles flower most heavily in full, uninterrupted sunlight. Even an hour of shade during the day will compromise flowering. Frequent irrigation, lack of heat, and overfertilization promote vegetative growth at the expense of flowering. In extreme drought conditions or cool, rainy summers, flowering may be delayed until the early autumn.

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