Helpful tips

Do crepe myrtle branches grow back?

Do crepe myrtle branches grow back?

Crepe myrtles will grow back when cut, although it isn’t necessary to prune them all the way down to the ground.

How do you know when a crepe myrtle is dying?

Signs that your Crepe Myrtle is dying or dead Crepe Myrtles have thin bark, which you can scratch with your fingernail. You can do this to check the health of your tree. Tree care professionals call this the “scratch test.” If the bark underneath is green, your tree is still alive.

What if my crepe myrtle is too tall?

Crapes can benefit from late-winter pruning to remove dead, weak or crossing branches and suckers. If heavy-pruning your too-tall crape is an annual ritual, transplant it, if possible, and replace it with a shorter variety. If it’s only a bit too tall, prune the top branches back 2 feet to a side branch.

What is the lifespan of a crepe myrtle?

Crepe myrtles live quite a few years if you take care of them. A crepe myrtle lifespan can exceed 50 years. So that’s the answer to the question “how long do crepe myrtle trees live?” They can live a good, long time with suitable care.

How do you get rid of old crepe myrtles?

It’s not always practical to manually remove the entire root system. Sometimes the roots go underneath a concrete driveway or venture into the neighbor’s yard or your flower garden. You can dig up the crepe myrtle suckers and sever the main roots with a sharp shovel or large garden shears.

How late can you prune crepe myrtles?

Pruning as late as May will likely cause some delay in bloom time, and pruning later than May may delay bloom noticeably but will not harm the tree. Any branches you leave untouched will be unaffected, so as with any tree, removing poorly placed or dead/broken branches can be done at any time.

Why is the bark falling off my crepe myrtle?

You may live with a healthy crepe myrtle in the garden for a few years, then wake up one day to find that the tree’s bark is falling off. Don’t panic. This is likely a perfectly normal phenomenon. One of the beautiful features of a mature crepe myrtle is peeling bark that reveals the coloration in the wood.

What to do with fallen crepe myrtle leaves?

First, rake up all fallen crepe myrtle leaves and throw them out with the trash. Next summer, spray according to label directions with a fungicide called Immunox. You can get this at garden centers. Grumpy’s on Vacay!

Do you need to trim a single trunk crape myrtle?

In my opinion , the single trunk Crape Myrtle is one of the more beautiful shapes the tree can take on with proper pruning, however, will require the most investment in pruning each year. Why is the case? First you’ll need to remove any extra stems protruding from the ground, as well as any suckers.

What to do if your crape myrtle has mold?

Treat insect pests if you observe sooty mold on a crape myrtle. Spray the foliage liberally with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap on a day when temperatures will not reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the air is calm and there is no chance of rain.