Posts Tagged ‘crape myrtle’
Dogwood – Powdery Mildew Identification
Q: I have a beautiful dogwood tree that reaches to the second floor deck. It looks really healthy, but today I noticed white spots on the leaves. A: Your dogwood has powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a common disease of...
Crapemyrtle – Losing Branches
Q: Can you tell me what is wrong with this crepe myrtle? It is losing its branches. A: One of the results of chopping off the top of a crapemyrtle in winter is lots of lush growth the following spring....
Crepe myrtles – Transplanting
Q: I have new crepe myrtles that have sprouted up a few feet from the main tree. How do I transplant them to other areas of my yard? A: I think you’ll find that the new sprouts are attached to...
Crepemyrtle (River Birch, Maple) – Bark Peeling
Q: The bark is splitting and falling off our three-year-old crepe myrtle tree. What can I do? A: This is normal, desired behavior for a crapemyrtle. It’s called bark exfoliation. This characteristic comes by way of the crapemyrtle breeding program...
Tree 25 feet- Replacing
Q: A tree in my front yard died and I need to replace it. I’d like it to be no more than twenty-five feet at maturity, low maintenance, colorful and drought resistant. Can you help me come close? A: My...
Crepemyrtle – Height
Q: Are there any crape myrtles that grow no taller than 6 or 7 feet? We are landscaping under power lines but don’t want to commit “crape murder” every year. A: ‘Acoma’ (white), ‘Hopi’ (pink) or ‘Tonto’ (red) crapemyrtles would...
Crepe Myrtles – Pruning
Q: A couple of weeks ago you recommended tree-form crape myrtles for low maintenance. Everyone I know complains long and loud about the annual pruning of crape myrtles. Do you advocate not pruning them? A: You are correct. I advocate...
Crapemyrtle – Correct Pruning Tips
Q: Pardon my ignorance but I’m not from the US. I have a pair of these beauties in my back yard, and they’re everywhere in east Cobb County. In roadway medians they’re pruned back hard in winter, to just above...
Oak Tree – Leaf Tufts Falling
Q: I read about the oak moth that eats oak leaves and I wondered if that’s what’s going on with my two trees. They are dropping clumps of leaves like crazy. I’d love to get back to gardening instead of...
Crape Myrtles – Protection
Q: At the end of last summer, we noticed our crape myrtles were covered with a black soot-like powder. It even discolored the pinestraw beneath. When we pruned back the trees recently we still noticed it. How should we treat?...
River Burch Trees – Roots Are Appearing
Q: Our river birch trees have roots coming up all over our yard. They are ruining the grass. I’d like to replace them but what would be a good tree to plant? A: Roots appearing on the surface indicate hard...
‘Natchez’ Crapemyrtles
Q: We have several ‘Natchez’ crapemyrtles and want to plant a red one between the white ones.What crapemyrtle blooms red at same time or close to ‘Natchez’? A: ‘Dynamite’ has a terrific red flower color and is a tree-form crapemyrtle,...
Crapemyrtle – Protecting From Beetles
Q: My three-year old crapemyrtle was killed by Asian ambrosia beetles. Fortunately it has re-sprouted from the bottom. My question is, what can be used to combat these pests before they dig in? A: Asian ambrosia beetle damage has become...
Oak Trees – Hedge Bushes
Q: We recently bought some rural property that has quite a few lovely old oak trees. At the base of the trees are thick hedge bushes. How can we get rid of them without hurting the oaks? A: Since you...
Oak Trees- Protecting From Beetles
Q: Not long ago my neighbor lost a hundred year old oak tree. The problem was diagnosed as ambrosia beetles. Is there any way I can protect trees in my adjacent yard? A: I recently attended a lecture presented by...
Spanish Moss – Control
Q: Is there a registered chemical for controlling Spanish moss in crapemyrtles? A: Why do you want to control it in the first place? Spanish moss doesn’t hurt the crapemyrtles, it simply uses the branches as support. Spanish moss is...
Hurricane Management
Q: We have a beach house at Carrabelle, Florida, which was hit hard by hurricane Dennis. The landscape was drenched in salt water. We have crepe myrtles and some small oaks that we’re especially concerned about. Should we cut them...
Crapemyrtles – Pruning, Why?
Q: I’ve heard you say to prune crape myrtles back to where the wood is about the width of a pencil or your little finger. My follow up question is this: WHY is it necessary to prune crepemyrtles? What would...
