Crepe Myrtle Trees and Shrubs: How to Care for Them

Crepe Myrtles come in a variety of colors and sizes. Often called 'The Lilac of the South', these hardy plants can be used to beautifully outline a driveway or mark off a property line. They are perfect for adding color to any landscape, planting one or two near a patio, to provide shade on a long hot summer day and enjoy the blooms long into the fall months. Their versatility and easy maintenance make them a popular summer flowering shrub or tree. Even with the hardiness and versatility of these plants, mistakes can be made, but, just as easily remedied.

Crepe Myrtles really need a sunny location in well-drained soil. Once a newly planted Crepe Myrtle is established (usually after the first growing season) it can stand some abuse. They should be pruned once a year, in late winter. February is usually the ideal time to prune and prepare for the current years growth.

After they have bloomed and shed their flowers, they set seed. These seed pods appear at the tip of the branches and sometimes weigh the limbs down causing them to sag a little. At this time, by using a sharp pair of clippers, cut off the seed pods. You will soon see new buds appear and get a second bloom. Please don't make the same mistake I have been making for the past eight years. I let the seed pods fall naturally to the ground and ended up with a new growth of little Crepe Myrtles in their surrounding flower bed. Being unfamiliar with these trees, I thought the seed pods were new flower buds. Not so. They are larger than the flower buds and very hard. It is even sometimes possible to get a third or fourth bloom from your Crepe Myrtles, if the temperature remains warm and you continue to remove the seed pods after each shedding.

As mentioned before, you should prune or cut back your Crepe Myrtles in late winter, (around the end of February or early March). If you have chosen to plant the shrub form, it can be cut back to about 18-24 inches. But, this form really does not have to be pruned at all. Actually, if not pruned, the shrub seems to bloom much fuller. The tree form is a little bit different. You should wait until you see the first signs of growth then cut them at about a foot higher than the initial growth. This will give your tree some height and allow it to keep the tree form.

Remember, these shrubs and trees, once established can take some abuse. So, if you have made the mistakes I made, by not removing the seed pods and by cutting/pruning just any old way, there is still hope for your plant. Simply cut the plant all the way to the ground. It will grow back quickly and you can begin a proper regimen of treatment and very soon begin to enjoy those beautiful flowering trees and shrubs nicknamed, 'The Lilacs of the South'.

Source: http://www.cohlmia.com