Crape Myrtle Care

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are small shrubs, which are attractive throughout the year with their blooms, foliage and exfoliant bark. Popular as a landscape plant, crape myrtles (crepe myrtle) sport colorful blooms all through the summer and fall. The dormant season is compensated with the attractive exfoliating bark and thick foliage. Crape myrtles are used as small trees or shrubs with their height ranging from 20 inches to 25 feet. These plants are extensively planted in warmer regions, where they are planted in groups with ground cover. The dark green ground cover offers a good contrast to the light tan-colored bark. Small crape myrtle varieties are often used in hedges, screens, or in masses. These flowering plants are very commonly used for landscaping in the southern parts of the United States and are sometimes called the 'Flower of the South'. Though best suited to warm regions, some cold-hardy varieties can be seen in the northern states too.

Prominent Features of Crape Myrtle
Crape myrtle plants can be seen as small trees or shrubs and are very attractive with their colorful blooms, thick foliage and a smooth exfoliating bark. Most of these plants, which are resistant to drought, insects and diseases, are multi-trunked (there are single trunk varieties too). The top half of the plant is covered with glossy green leaves, which turn yellow or red during the fall. The bottom half sports a smooth and leafless bark, which exfoliates in irregular patches of brown to gray. The flowers, being the most prominent feature of the crape myrtle plant, develop in large panicles, which have a length of around 6 to 9 inches and a width ranging between 3 to 5 inches. The petals have a wrinkled texture, which is similar to crape paper and hence the name, crape myrtle. The flowering season starts in mid-June and extends to September and there are many varieties of this plant. They develop flowers of various shades, like white, pink, rose, purple, red, etc. and can be used to adorn your flower garden.

Crape Myrtle Care
Crape myrtle plants are very easy to care for and require very little maintenance. But having a basic knowledge of crape myrtle tree care can prove to be beneficial in growing them. Following are some guidelines regarding care for crape myrtle, which include planting, watering, fertilizing and pruning. Read more on gardening.

Planting
First of all, you have to select the crape myrtle variety which is best suited for your landscape. These plants love direct sunlight and thrive in moist, well-drained soil. So the location for planting, should offer sunlight, as partial shade may result in less flowers, whereas full shade may promote the growth of fungi and other diseases. Even though it can be planted during any season, it is always advisable to plant crape myrtle when it is dormant. While planting crape myrtle, make sure that the root ball is even with the ground level. You can create a water ring around the root ball and cover it with three inches of mulch. Some of the tree forms of crape myrtles may require staking. Read more on types of mulch and tips for mulching.

Watering and Fertilizing
Even though, crape myrtles are drought resistant, they still need plenty of water, in order to establish their roots after planting. Once planted, you have to water the plant daily (for a few weeks), until the root ball gets soaked. You can reduce the frequency of watering after two to three weeks. But regular watering is recommended for the first two years after planting and older plants need frequent watering during summers. In case of dehydration, the leaves will start wilting and as soon as you notice this sign, water the plant immediately.

Crape myrtle do not require large amounts of fertilizers, but you can opt for a light application of a balanced formula, while the plant establishes itself. For such plants, fertilizers can be applied during March, May and July. In case of established plants, you can apply fertilizers once in a year, during early spring. Fertilizers, which have high nitrogen content may help in promoting the growth of foliage, but these curb blooming.

Pruning
Pruning is an important part of crape myrtle care, as blossoms develop on new shoots. Pruning depends on the crape myrtle variety, which can be in the form of trees or shrubs. If you want to develop a crape myrtle tree, then pruning should be done several times, during each season, to remove the new shoots that arise from the base of the plant. Such pruning is not needed for crape myrtle shrubs. For younger plants, most of the pruning is done in winter and should be aimed at establishing a strong framework. You have to remove the thin stems from the base and lower trunks, remove seed balls and those branches that grow inward towards the center of the plant and the stem tips. Make sure to remove damaged, dead or rubbing branches and always trim it just above the outward pointing bud.

For established plants, limited pruning during late winters is preferable. Crape myrtle pruning includes clipping of the fading blooms during the summer to trigger the development of new blooms. Severe pruning of crape myrtle trees is not advisable. This practice, which is termed as 'crape murder' does not affect the production of blooms, but robs away the natural character of the plant. Powdery mildew and sooty mold fungus are the common problems associated with this plant. Powdery mildew can be controlled by planting crape myrtles in direct sunlight or selecting crape myrtle varieties that are resistant to this. Sooty mold fungus can be removed by washing the affected stem with soapy dishwater and then rinsing with clean water.

In short, crape myrtle care is not a difficult task, as these plants are not fussy. Even though, care for crape myrtle involves watering and fertilizing, pruning is the most important among them and it is one of the factors that decides the rate of blooming. Now, as you know the basics of crape myrtle and crape myrtle care, you can plant one and enhance the beauty of your landscape.