crape myrtles in pots
mk87
14 years ago
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brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years agolove_savannah
14 years agoRelated Discussions
crape myrtle in pot
Comments (2)What is the hardiness rating of your plant? I think most are marginally cold hardy to zone 6, but I am not sure about your miniature. Also potted plants are generally regarded as only being hardy to 2 zones warmer than they are listed because pots do not insulate the roots as well as the ground. So, if your plant is hardy to zone 6, figure it is hardy to zone 8 in a pot. Find a place that meets those conditions and you are all set. Sometimes keeping a plant in the dark forces 'deeper' dormancy than plants exposed to light and they can take greater coldness, but I wouldn't count on it unless you know the requirements of the plant well and I don't have any overwintering experience with your plant to say from experience....See MoreCrepe myrtle tree help!
Comments (6)From my observations dealing with crapemyrtles that don't do well after planting. 1. Be sure it's getting enough water. Crapes are water hogs when getting established. With regular watering (light and frequent) you'll notice they can go longer without water as the season goes on. 2. Be sure it's not planted too deep. I've seen too many trees that are planted or mulched up on top of the root ball. The root ball should be visible after planting, and above the ground about a couple of inches. As little as an inch of soil on top of the roots can be detrimental to crapes. 3. As stated above, amendments don't do any good unless used on large areas, such as the whole yard or beds. I don't necessarily buy into the spring and fall planting only. The truth is, if planted correctly and sufficient irrigation provided, summer plantings will see very fast root growth. Too many people think that since they planted in the spring or fall, they can afford to not irrigate or only do it sporadically. Obviously, if you live in an area that have definite wet and dry seasons, you plant in the wet season. However, locations that receive regular rainfall on average from month to month, plantings can be done year round, unless the ground is frozen or the plant species requires a specific time. In the case of crapemyrtles, mid-spring through the end of August is the optimum planting period. There are now some recommendations by some growers/researchers to not plant crapes after September 1, since it supposedly increases the risk of cold injury the following winter (that can be said for any borderline cold hardy plant in your planting zone)....See MoreYoung crape myrtles - growth?
Comments (2)The limiting growth factors will probably be fact that they are in pots (size of pot, planting medium, etc) and possible moisture levels (depending on the potting medium and how well you water them). Planted out, they could easily double in size during the next year. It a pot, there are too many variables to guess. If you've used large pots with a well-draining medium, and, you care for them properly (check moisture levels frequently), they should do fine in a pot while your construction goes on....See MoreCrape Myrtles in Pots?
Comments (12)Sorry for the delay. Finally stopped raining. Here's the one in the pot - I hard prune it once a year to try to keep it like a bonsai (which is how my mother raised it - I try to maintain her original shape). It's about 15 years old now: Here's a full size 20 year old - just like the one in the front yard. Was pruned last week (just to take out limbs that were rubbing together - etc.). It's a little thin on the left side because raccoons climb on it - and then try to jump onto the bird feeder (and they break some limbs - not theirs - the ones on the trees): Here's a volunteer from our purple-ish trees that decided to grow in an inconvenient place for a tall tree. Looks nice in bloom. I prune it back pretty hard each year to keep it small: I love the purple-ish color of the one you like (I have 3 of them - one of the few things in the original landscape I liked and kept). I tried to match it for a while (I wanted a 4th) - and never did find one (thought I had - but the 4th turned out more pink than purple - still - it had such a nice trunk structure I couldn't bring myself to dig it up and toss it). Robyn...See Morelove_savannah
14 years agomk87
14 years agobrandon7 TN_zone7
14 years agomk87
14 years ago
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brandon7 TN_zone7