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Crape myrtle question
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Posted by MegNYC z6NY (My Page) on Tue, Aug 24, 04 at 20:59
| Anybody in this area grow crape myrtle in containers?
I am assuming I will need to bring my one-year-old inside for the winter? I have only an apartment, no cool garage, etc. Will this work?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| I have the same situation. I have 3 containers of crape myrtle, babies from mama plant. I suspect that 'we' have to bring them indoors. Watering is the question for me...daily or what? They are hard to kill when planted in ground and established..but containers are another matter. if you find out more, please let us in on it, and likewise.:) |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| Bad winters have killed some of my crepe myrtles---and they're in the ground! I'd take them, keep them in a cool place if poss & water 1x a week...but I'm not too sure on the watering part. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| Ok, I went to the Texas Gardening forum ... figured they'd know about crape myrtles, plus they have been very helpful when I asked questions about growing stuff in hot, blazing sun (I wanted to redo my window boxes which had already fried). I got LOTS of input. My main question was whether they need a period of dormancy ... I figured bringing it in and putting it under grow lights wasn't going to be good if it needs dormancy, since I don't have a cool, darkish spot. Based on the answers/comments I got, here is what I have decided to do: Since it's a small plant yet, and in a small pot, I am going to wrap that pot in bubble wrap; then put the small pot inside a large pot and mulch heavily. Maybe even wrap the large pot in an old blanket. Good luck to us! |
Thanks Meg
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Finally I have found a garden home and thanks for the heads up about feeding I feed way too much. Learned the hard way. I will stick to this group as to where I belong. What is osmocote and is Miracle Grow similar to Bloom Plus. Thinking of planting ornamental grasses next year any suggestions and your Myrtal question really got me interested. Also my wife gave me some wild flower seeds is that really pushing it for my small out side plant plot. Dahlias, an ornamental grass and nasturtiums and herbs might be in order for next year and all beneath my landlord's floppy fig tree. Yikes.
Edgar |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| I am looking at the entry for crape myrtles in my Time Life gardening under lights. This series of books was authored by James Crockett of Victory Garden fame. The entry actually deals with dwarf crepe myrtles and there is no mention of a need for dormancy. He recommends growing them with 14 to 16 hours of artificial light daily with a temperature of 65 to 70 at night and 70 to 75 during the day. He says to keep the humidity as close to 50% as possible and to feed weekly after watering with 10-20-10 at one quarter strength.I don't know if your old enough to remember Crockett's victory garden on T.V. but he was an excellent plantsman. I hope this was of help to you. By the way I've had two crape myrtles in my backyard one for at least twenty years. I had one of them in the house for at least a couple of years before planting it out. I don't remember if it dropped its leaves or not but it did survive. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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Edgar, I am pretty new to all this myself, just started gardening in earnest this spring. A neighbor wanted to know if I had taken a class in horticulture (Manhattanites in general are easily impressed by anything that grows) ... everything I learned this year, I have learned here on GW! I don't intend to become a rocket scientist about it, so my explanations will be on the simplistic side. Osmocote is a basic all-purpose time release fertilizer ... little pellets that will release the fertilizer over time, as needed. I use it when I plant, and then again about the end of July.
I put away the 15 or so fertilizers hubby bought when I first started this, and that is basically all I use. I am all for simple and effective :-) Miracle Gro is a similar product in that it is all-purpose, but you have to apply it more often and you have to figure out when to do it. Bloom Plus is specifically for flowering plants ... as I think I mentioned, I use a weak solution (about 1/4 of what they recommend) every time I water a plant that needs a little encouragement in the flowering department. Since all my gardening is done in containers, I really can't answer your question about the wild-flower seeds. Suggest you make a separate thread here asking that question, and hopefully another local will reply :-) Halfhardy, I am old enough to remember NO TV :-> When I got to watch TV at my grandparents, it was only Howdy Doody I was interested in, not gardening :-D That said, I do appreciate your info and I guess now I will change my plans. I must say I am more comfortable about bringing it in and putting it under my grow lights, since I can better keep an eye on it that way. Thanks for your response. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| I love the bubble-wrap set-up! What a great tip! |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| This is for Edgar and the comparison of fertilizers. The Osmocote, Miracle Grow and Bloom Plus are different from each other. Osmocote and Bloom Plus are granular fertilizers and are slow release ones. Miracle Grow is generally delivered through a hose end feeder and is considered short term quick release fertilizer. MG is great for annuals who need all that energy right away to continue blooming. Osmocote is a balanced slow release fertilizer(contains Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium). Bloom Plus has more Phosphorus in it to encourage blooms and root production. Nitrogen(the first number) encourages vegetative or leaf or stem growth. Phosphorus (the second number)encourages bloom or root production. Potassium (the third number) keeps the plant cells working properly. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| I planted my crape myrtle at the end of february and it is now the second week of april. is it normal for leaves to not have started comeing out. the tree is alive, and i see the leaf buds, but no action. i need to know so if there is a problem, i can take the tree back. thanks for any help. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| chrisbk, I would suggest you ask this question in your area. crape myrtles behave very differently in the northeast. good luck! |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| By the way, mind did NOT do well indoors under lights :-( I must admit to a period of neglect, tho. At one point, I thought it was dead, so I gave it a drastic haircut and it's coming back :-) Have it outside now. Whether it blooms or not is a nother question, tho. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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- Posted by Lee1 z7 Long Island (My Page) on
Tue, May 3, 05 at 18:50
| Almost lost my crepe myrtle in a pot last winter(winter of 2003-4) so I transplanted it into the ground last Fall. It is just starting to show the slightest signs of life. Everything is about two weeks late this year due to the severe winter and the delay of warmer Spring temperatures. If you scrape the bark a bit with a fingernail and it appears green then your tree is O.K. Once it sprouts you can remove any winter damaged limbs. It should start to show signs of sprouting in about two more weeks or so. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| I planted a Sioux Crape Myrtle (Got it at Franks in Centereach, NY before it closed)last summer and it was beautiful even into the Fall. As of today it still looks dead. I am hopeful though because I can see green under the bark when I scratch a bit of it away. |
RE: Crape myrtle question
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| robsyard, they are very late to leaf out. i'm sure it's fine! |
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