Posts Tagged ‘crape myrtle’
How To Get Thicker Blooms On My Crapemyrtle
Q: I was happy to see a few beautiful red blooms come on our crape myrtle but it seems tall and thin. How can I get it to be thicker with more blooms? A: Crapemyrtle flowers are produced on the...
Crapemyrtle – Pruning
One of the most confounding arguments I face is whether and how to prune crapemyrtles. They are mercilessly “murdered” by unaware landscapers and homeowners each winter… yet they still bloom in summer. Some people even believe a crapemyrtle won’t bloom...
Crapemyrtle – Fragrance
Q: Are there any fragrant varieties of crepe myrtles? A: NOTE: THIS IS MY ORIGINAL ANSWER…BUT I’M WRONG…SEE BELOW Some gardeners claim to detect a faint scent (‘Apalachee’ and ‘Near East’ are said to have a pleasing fragrance) but I...
Powdery Mildew – Control
Powdery mildew is a common disease of summer. It begins when we have cool nighttime temperatures coupled with warm, humid days. Symptoms continue even when days are warmer. Powdery mildew is a “parasitic” fungus. It rests on the leaf surface...
Crapemyrtle, Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle – Which is Correct?
When I exhorted my radio listeners to check out my web pages on how to prune crapemyrtles, several sent plaintive notes that they simply could not find the correct pages on my website. The reason is that I spell the...
Crapemyrtle Pruning – Steve Pettis’ Comments
I like the description here. Dr. Ed Gillman describes pollarding at his site linked here that “Pollarding is an old technique for maintaining trees at a small size. It has proven itself as a reliable, durable method of maintaining trees...
Correct Crapemyrtle Pruning – Art Morris’ Comments
I think we all agree that the preferable treatment for a crape is to plant in the right place and let it go. Pollarding is intended to remove only the annual sprouts from a pollard head, and is done correctly...
Crapemyrtle Pruning – Shannon Pable’s Comments
“Here’s how I look at it: “For pollarding, you cut above the last pollarded cut; i.e. cut the newer wood and avoid cutting into the older wood…leaving some existing lateral branching. By cutting into the older wood you would increase...
Crapemyrtle Varieties and Cultivars
Crapemyrtles are one of the most beautiful and carefree flowering plants of the Southern landscape. There are many different cultivars, with different flower colors and growing heights. This publication from the University of Georgia gives information on crapemyrtle care and...
Crapemyrtle – Pruned Poorly – Pictures
A poorly-pruned crapemyrtle is one where the top has been thoughtlessly hacked back to a...
Crapemyrtle – Pruned Correctly – Pictures
In my view, a well-pruned crapemyrtle has architectural form and a graceful...
Leaf Drop – Crapemyrtle
I called into your radio show with a question about massive leaf drop on a section of a 15 to 20 feet Crepe Myrtle Tree. Before you wasted time on research, I wanted to let you know that the issue...
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
There are many opinions on which is the “correct” way to prune a crapemyrtle. A landscape owner may want a smaller tree, more blooms, or less work….all of which demand a different kind of pruning. Dr. Gary Knox at the...
Crapemyrtle – Failure to Bloom
Few things are as frustrating as having a plant that is known for its beautiful flowers fail to bloom. Worse yet is when your neighbors’ plants are in full flower while identical ones in your landscape sullenly produce only foliage....
Tree Limb – Grafted to Trunk
Q: Attached is a photo of a tree (maple, I believe) that is in the woods in my front yard in Buford, Georgia. Apparently, a branch grew out of the tree, then somehow reversed course and actually grew back into...
Crapemyrtle – Transplanting
Q: My wife has several small crape myrtles growing from seed in her garden. They came from a large white crape myrtle nearby. If I transplant them will they grow into a normal bush/tree or should we just cut them...
Crapemyrtle – Don’t Prune in Fall
Q: I have seven crape myrtles. I want to cut them back in October so I won’t have to clean up their shedding leaves. Plus, I think their leafless stems are ugly in the winter. How low can they be...
Aphids – On Trees in Fall
Q: We have a tree in our front yard and it is covered with little gnats. There is a pile an inch or more deep at the base of the tree and they cover most of the limbs and trunk....
