How fast crepe myrtles grow

Your crape myrtle should be watered thoroughly for the roots to settle and to eliminate air pockets. The best soil for crape myrtle is in an acidic to slightly acidic soil ranging from 5. Most average garden soils fall between a pH range of 6. A good way to find out the acidity of your soil would be to take a sample to the Cooperative Extension agent near you, for testing. You can also buy an at-home kit at most garden centers. Fertilizer should only be applied at correct times of the year.

To protect your tree, please provide a 4 foot diameter weed and grass-free area. This will provide a water basin and minimize anything from taking water and nutrients from the tree. During spring and summer, inches of mulch should be placed a few inches away from the trunk to provide good air circulation. The best type of mulch for your crape myrtle is acid mulch, pine bark or oak leaves. Do not mulch with mushroom compost. A complete general-purpose garden fertilizer — such as , , or — is ideal for crape myrtle.

Avoid over-fertilization because it causes excess foliage growth and reduced flowering. The best time to fertilize is just before a rain. Otherwise, water in the fertilizer after application with irrigation.

It is not necessary to remove mulch when fertilizing. Be sure to evenly spread fertilizer under the entire canopy of your tree, avoiding a 5 inch area closest to the trunk. After fertilizing, be sure to water your tree. Depending on the age of your plant, application of the fertilizer should be adjusted. For established plants, simply broadcast the granular fertilizer in spring before new growth begins. Apply or at a rate of 1 lb. The square footage in the root area is determined by the branch spread of the crape myrtle.

The first year is a critical time for your new crape myrtle. It has not had time to establish itself yet and therefore is not as strong as an older shrub. To prevent the plant from dying, it must be watered once a week. Be sure to soak the entire root system deeply, this will take about minutes. For best growth and production, crape myrtles should receive at least one inch of water a week. Cut each one just below a node nodal cutting. Leave the top 2 or 3 leaves from the cutting and remove the rest.

Use a rooting medium such as wet sand or seed starter soil and stick the cuttings in it. Crepe myrtles root well and will root in about 4 to 8 weeks even without rooting hormones, depending on the condition. Crepe myrtle is known for being a challenge to grow from seeds. But it does not mean that you cannot try. You can collect crepe myrtle seeds from its pods in late autumn to mid-winter. You may not find a lot of excellent and unopened seed pods if you wait until late winter to collect seeds.

For the paper towel method, moisten a paper towel and place seeds on the half part of it, keeping the seeds spaced out. Fold the paper towel over the crepe myrtle seeds and place inside a sealed bag. If you choose to use a seed starter soil, you can use individual seed pots or a bigger container. Spread out the seeds over the soil and water it. Put a very thin layer of more soil just enough to cover the seeds, but not too much, and water again.

For the first year, water more frequently, about times a week depending on the weather. Just make sure that the soil of your crepe myrtle does not stay too wet. For mature crepe myrtles, water about once a week, allowing the soil to dry out in between watering. Even if crepe myrtles are hardy, do not allow them to stay dry for too long, especially during the blooming season.

You will notice that it will have fewer flowers if watering has been neglected for too long. Tall varieties include the white-flowered Natchez Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Natchez,' zones 6 to 9 , the dark coral-pink Tuscarora Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tuscarora,' zones 6 to 9 and Muskogee Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Muskogee,' zones 6 to 9.

Some crape myrtle varieties are thought to grow faster than others, but aside from picking the right species, much will depend on how well they are cared for. Perfect Plants classifies Arapaho Lagerstroemia indica x faueri 'Arapaho,' zones , Muskogee, Natchez and Red Rocket Lagerstroemia 'Red Rocket,' zones as fast growers, with the last two able to grow up to 30 feet high.

Other important features for which to look in these trees are length of flowering color and time, bark color, fall leaf color ranging from yellow to maroon to black and ease of care.

Crape myrtles like hot, sunny climates, have vaselike shapes and dark green foliage that changes color in the fall. You do not need a lot of space to grow them, but if you are choosing a fast-growing or tall variety, make sure you have an appropriate amount of room.

A perfect spot would be to line driveways or fences because they provide a beautiful site for years to come. Selection When your plant arrives, open the package immediately and carefully remove the pot and tree.

Water the soil if it is dry and place the pot in a shady or partly shady spot until you can plant the crape myrtle. Dig a hole larger than the pot, twice as wide if possible. Place the pot on its side and slide the plant out. If the plant is stuck, you can slip a long-bladed knife around the inside edge to loosen it.

Gently loosen some of the roots along the sides and bottom, and pull them outward so they are not encircling the root mass. The exception is large root s wound around the circumference of the pot. In this case the offending root should be shortened so that when it is in the ground it will grow outward and not continue growing in a circle. Spread the side roots out over the mounded soil while backfilling the hole. Work the soil in and around the roots.

When the hole is half filled, give it and the roots a good soaking of water. When the water has drained, readjust the depth of the stem if necessary and finish filling the hole. Gently tamp the soil down with your hands. Use your hands to build up a inch high dike of soil around the outside of the root zone. This will help impound water over the roots while it sinks into the soil.

Water thoroughly. Spread inches of an organic mulch over the top of root ball to help hold in soil moisture. You can use hay, straw, leaves, pine needles, or grass clippings.

You might look into doing a soil test to see what nutrients are lacking from your soil and what type of fertilizer you should use as well as the soil pH. This will also help with diseases such as leaf spot. You may need to stake the new crape myrtle until its roots become established enough to keep it from falling over in strong wind.