Remove any side branches that grow from them towards the center of the tree. With the right fertilizer and a little bit of TLC, your Crepe Myrtles will be healthy and vibrant for many years to come. What other treatments may be necessary to revive a crepe myrtle? Go and sin no more. If youre not sure how much fertilizer to use, its best to start with a small amount and then gradually increase it over time. There are some common issues with Crepe Myrtle trees to be on the lookout for: Physical Damage, Late Leafing or No Blooms: Due to their thin bark, Crepe Myrtles are susceptible to damage by landscaping equipment. As is frequently the case, nature knows how best to grow a tree, and our job is to guide it to its full beauty, not change the inherent nature. Finally, if you notice that the bark on your crepe myrtle tree is cracking, peeling or falling off, this could be a sign that the tree is in distress. It is easy to care for and can thrive with minimal effort. This will ensure that your trees have a steady supply of nutrients throughout the growing season. This will help encourage new growth in the right direction. Be sure to soak the entire root system deeply, this will take about 45-60 minutes. This is a more recent addition to our list of potential ailments, as it was first identified in Texas in 2004; however, it has quickly made its presence known and is now one of the most common Crepe Myrtles pests in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We will update our content. Roots. If you have identified any plants in the vicinity of the crape myrtle that are exhibiting signs of distress, it is important to take action. Luckily this ailment doesnt live through the winter. The goal is to keep the new growth neat and maintained. Sometimes a careful inspection can help to determine the cause of the problem. With the proper care and maintenance, the crape myrtle will bring beauty and life to any garden. Plesae let us know what went wrong? However, you should be prepared for fewer blooms as your tree makes its recovery. As a general rule of thumb, dont remove more than 1/3 of the foliage and branches. Give us a call at 817-264-7937 for more information or a quote. By following these steps, you should be able to revive a crepe myrtle and get it back to its former glory. A Crape Myrtle killed by cold and frost damage will not leaf out, and the limbs will be very brittle. Buds, which are small, green growths, will typically appear in the late winter and early spring months. If youre heading or thinning, make sure to make cuts at a 45-degree angle just above a leaf node or bud. Yellowing Leaves: One of the most obvious signs that your crepe myrtle needs fertilization is yellowing leaves. It is hardy and can thrive in areas that receive enough water and sunlight. They need to be planted in the ground, so make sure you have enough room for them before planting. Another of the crepe myrtle pests is sooty mold. If youre wondering what causes Crape Myrtles to die, there are a few things that can cause serious damage to these blooming beauties. Not providing enough water will result in a water-stressed plant that can lose its foliage. Knowing the common signs of a dying crepe myrtle can help you address the issue quickly and prevent further damage to the tree. Still, its important to be careful when applying herbicides. Input your search keywords and press Enter. Prune back deadwood Start by pruning away dead or damaged branches. If it is green on the outside but brown on the inside, it has suffered cold damage from late freezes. Slow-release fertilizers release their nutrients over a longer period of time, meaning your trees will be nourished for a longer period of time. Will a Crape Myrtle Damage Your Home, Yard, or Foundation? You may be wondering if your crape myrtle is dead or if there's still hope for it. Unfortunately, due to improper care or environmental stress, crepe myrtles can become sickly or even die. Select one or two sprouts per trunk only and prune off the rest. Please reach out to one of our team at TreeNewal as soon as possible because powdery mildew can pose a real threat to your Crepe Myrtle. I had the same issue with my crape myrtle last year - I thought it was dead too, but it ended up being a lack of water. Because these trees are so resilient, its possible to do some damage control and repair a murdered Crape Myrtle. This could be due to a lack of water, a nutrient deficiency, or a pest infestation. Crape Myrtles are warm weather loving deciduous trees, so they like to go to sleep for the winter. This fertilizer provides a balanced blend of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, all of which are essential nutrients for Crepe Myrtles. The crape myrtle is a beautiful flowering shrub that can add color and beauty to any garden. Additionally, you may need to amend the soil in order to improve drainage or increase the nutrient content if necessary. Yet, some people dont even know that its a bad thing. Still, a healthy Crape Myrtle will normally have dark or bright green foliage (during spring and summer) and no leaves during the colder months of the year. I find the smell of dirt pleasant. Don't cut too much if you decide to tidy up your crape myrtles in late summer and fall! Bark may be a variety of colors, and may change colors and peel during fall. When pruning back the entire plant, make sure to leave at least 3-4 buds on each stem. Thinning is when you remove entire branches from the plant, while rejuvenation is when you cut the entire plant back to a certain height. To prevent the plant from dying, it must be watered once a week. The new growth has almost matched the older trunk and soon won't even be noticeable. If these buds are present, it is a sign that the crape myrtle is alive and healthy. Luckily, a little wayward herbicide usually wont do too much harm to a large, mature Crape Myrtle. During the fall and winter months, water once every two weeks. Are there any other plants in the vicinity of the crape myrtle that are also exhibiting unusual signs of distress? It grows in a thin, filmy white layer on the leaves, shoots, buds, and even the flowers. What if it's too late and your crape is already murdered? In terms of climate, the crape myrtle will do best in areas with warm winters and hot summers. Why are the leaves on my crepe myrtle turning white? Water recovering trees and shrubs during dry spells this summer and fall. Still, that doesnt mean theyre invincible. Though these are unsightly problems, they typically arent fatal. Train the Rescued Shoots. 9 Questions to Always Ask Before Buying a Tree from a Nursery. By recognizing the common signs of a dying crepe myrtle, you can take steps to address the issue quickly and prevent further damage to the tree. Back in the day when we didnt have resistant selections, powdery mildew was the #1 complaint people had about crepe myrtles. Dig around the root system to see if the roots are dead or alive. Check for dead or broken branches on the shrub. That's great to hear! Peel back the bark to look for discoloration or decay. Newly tended plants require more water compared to mature and established plants. With the right care, your crepe myrtle should be thriving in no time! Follow these simple pruning tips to achieve beautiful crapemyrtle trees, Southerners are fixated on crape myrtles mainly because we see so many crape-murdered, Crapemyrtle Lagerstroemia indica Miss Sandra, Crapemyrtle Lagerstroemia indica Miss Frances. To reduce a crepe myrtles height, use hand pruners or loppers to shorten the topmost branches by 2-3 feet in late winter, always cutting back to a side branch or bud. Even though it doesnt get too cold where I live, it always seems like everything else in my landscape has come back well before the Crape Myrtles start leafing out. Checking your branches for damage or disease is an important part of maintaining a healthy garden. Sooty mold is a fungus that covers the leaves and looks like you dumped the contents of your fireplace onto your Crepe Myrtle. Additionally, it is important to watch for signs of disease and pests. These unsightly molds are caused by several species of fungi. How do I know if my crepe myrtle needs fertilization? No? Whether it lands on the leaves or branches or is absorbed through the root system, it can be very damaging or fatal to your Crape Myrtle. What are some recommended fertilizers for crepe myrtles? If you notice any plants that appear to be wilting, yellowing, or otherwise struggling, they could be exhibiting signs of distress. During the summer, crepe myrtles should be watered deeply once a week. Why Choose Plants from Southern Living Plant Collection. Another increasingly common fungus is Cercospora leaf spot, which is immediately recognizable by the irregular dark spots that form on the older leaves some time in mid to late summer. : Tips and Tricks to Understand and Fix the Issue. For best growth and production, crape myrtle should receive at least one inch of water a week. Hopefully you now recognize the signs of crape murder, and will become a valiant defender of defenseless crape myrtles everywhere. Tree care professionals call this the scratch test. If the bark underneath is green, your tree is still alive. Pruning should be done carefully, as overly aggressive pruning can lead to further damage. Prune off all of the others. Unlike some other flowering plants, crapes will develop their flower buds on new growth. Gardening can be a tricky business. Stunted Blooms: If your crepe myrtles blooms are smaller than usual or are not blooming at all, it could be a sign that your crepe myrtle is lacking nutrients. Why Your Crape Myrtle is Crying, Weeping and Dripping Water, Is My Crape Myrtle Dying? Dont wait until your summer annuals give up the ghost to plant your fall pansies! Look for brown, wilted, yellowing or missing leaves to determine if the crape myrtle is dead. I find the smell of dirt pleasant. Though any tall variety can make a tree, at some point one winter will be so harsh that the crape myrtle will die back to the ground. If the Crape Murder has been ongoing for a while, it may be difficult to correct the issue using this method. In the next section, well dive into how to help a murdered Crape and how to correctly prune from here on out. Crepe Myrtles have thin bark, which you can scratch with your fingernail. Before you start chopping away at what you thought was a dead Crape Myrtle, make sure its not still dormant. Another sign that your crepe myrtle may be dying is discolored leaves. Even when your Crape Myrtle is leafless, continue to water it as though it were growing normally. I'll try pruning it back and see if it helps. In most cases, the answer is yes. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. If the murder has been going on for many years, drastic measures may be necessary. The most important thing is patience when dealing with a frozen Crape Myrtle. Eventually, the root system will start to develop root rot, which can be a fatal condition if not addressed. I'm so sorry to hear about your crape myrtle! Pick Your New Main Branches: First, identify the strongest and healthiest-looking branches that are sprouting from below the cuts. It is also important to choose a spot that is not overly shaded by other plants, buildings, or other structures. However, it can re-occur each year if you have a Crepe Myrtle tree that is not pruned for proper circulation or getting enough sunlight. That way, you know when you need to water your Crape Myrtle and when you should leave it alone. We are sorry. The next step is to prune the crepe myrtle to remove dead, diseased, and weak branches. With a few simple steps, you can bring your crepe myrtle back to life and enjoy its beauty for years to come. Have you checked the branches for damage or disease? Keep an eye on your Crape Myrtle for signs of distress to help prevent bigger problems. It is not frost-tolerant and can suffer damage if temperatures drop below 20 F (-7 C). When severe pruning produces knots throughout the tree, you may be able to make them less noticeable by careful pruning. Understanding How Much Water Your Myrtle Plant Needs, The Best Fertilizer for Growing Myrtle: How to Choose the Right Nutrients for Maximum Growth, The Best Strategies for Controlling Pests on Myrtle Plants, Caring for Myrtle: Protecting Your Plant from Pests and Diseases, Troubleshooting the Top Challenges of Myrtle Cultivation. Depending on your cultivar, your Crape may even take a few extra weeks of slumber, so patience is key. This topping technique refers to sawing off the tops of mature branches. Once the insect infestation is handled, the sooty mold can be washed off, or it will eventually fall away on its own. Are you looking for a way to give your Crepe Myrtles the nourishment they need to thrive? Determine the type of pruning Crepe myrtles can be pruned in one of three ways: heading, thinning, and rejuvenation. TreeNewal offers insect management, disease, and fungus control, as well as trimming and removal. While it is relatively easy to maintain, it is still important to provide your crape myrtle with the right nutrients to ensure it remains healthy and vibrant. To start, look for any new growth on the branches of the tree. Never have a tree topped! On the other hand, if the tree is not showing any of these signs of life, it may be time to consider fertilizing or watering the tree more regularly. If you find any evidence of disease, such as fungal growth or insect infestations, it is important to take action. I'm glad that this article was able to help you out. Bulbs to Plant. Remove any side branches that grow from them towards the center of the tree. For a more natural look, vary the height of the cuts a bit. A well pruned crape myrtle should not look like it has been "pruned" at all. Like sooty mold, powdery mildew is a fungus. Don't panic, there are a few common (and benign) reasons that trees drop leaves in summer. These problems just compound as you continue to lop off the top of your Crape Myrtle each year. Rejoice! Dont leave big, ugly stubs. But dont worry, your Crape may still be salvageable! You should leave the knobs only if you plan to use the pollarding method for future pruning. Servicing The Dallas & Fort Worth Metroplex. In more severe cases, you may have to do a major rejuvenation of your Crape, which is a drastic measure. While this may seem counterintuitive, its sometimes the only option in more severe Crape Murders. Be sure to use the fertilizer or other nutrients according to the instructions on the product label. Where and why this is not bad advice, and where its a terrible idea. Or, if youre like me and found that your landscaper committed a vicious attack on your Crape, all hope is not lost. If your crepe myrtle is infested with pests, its a good idea to fertilize it to restore its health and make it less attractive to pests. Abbie is a plant-loving freelance writer from Florida. Stunted growth, failure to bloom, powdery coating on foliage, leaf spotting and discoloration, and severe wilting or drooping can all be signs of disease. The best way to ensure your crape myrtle is being properly fed is to use a good quality fertilizer or other nutrient-rich products, such as compost, on a regular basis. Dont let any new shoots grow from the ends of the stumps next to the ones you saved. Learn how TreeNewal can help your landscape. The best way to revive a crepe myrtle is to prune it back to a central trunk and remove any dead or diseased branches. Its not growing on the foliage but rather on the honeydew we mentioned above, which can be caused by aphids, scales, and other insects. You can find it in most nurseries now. It's already looking so much healthier! Once the cause has been identified, gardeners can take steps to address it, such as treating the plants with an appropriate pesticide or fungicide, adjusting the watering schedule, or amending the soil. It looks like someone Silly Stringed your garden, but it's actually a whole lot weirder. So, why do people continue to chop down these lovely trees despite all the information out there advising a less is more approach to pruning Crape Myrtles? However, if the topping and lopping have been going on for many years, you may find the task more difficult. 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