Red leaves on 30 foot crepe myrtle

7 years ago

Our tall crepe in Austin has mostly red leaves. 3rd spring like this. Tried fertilizer, fungus removal, watering in summer. Am I missing something? Is tree too old?

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
many leaves emerge red.. and green up ...

are you saying they never green up ...

have you had a soil test done .... it would be a safer start.. than just whipping fert around ....

and what in the world is fungus remover???

and you water.. when the plant needs water ... and a tree that size should rarely need water ...

ken
phillips_102 thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years ago
Scott, more information is needed, please.

Does the tree stay spindly and off color all summer?

Is your tree covered with black sooty mold (BSM)? If so, then crape myrtle aphids are the likely problem. Look for these aphids on the newest growth. They can greatly weaken a fully mature tree if not controlled and it is their sugary excrement that supports the growth of BSM.
phillips_102 thanked rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
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Mine are doing this as well as are many around town. I checked for sooty mold aphids and all the usual problems on mine and none exist. As you probably know, they grow on the side of roads in public plantings with no care. I'm not sure, but I don't think the leave drop will harm the trees permanently. Absent some disease on your tree, I think they are just early losing their leaves. We had a really weird spring - record low temperatures for several weeks (ten degrees below average) followed by record heat (ten degrees above average) for several weeks and no rain. I have had a lot of plants off schedule because of this. (My squash plants planted in early march just started producing fruit and the mexican petunias and perennial hibiscus were a month late starting to bloom.) I also have noticed it is significantly cooler at night than normal for August and the daytime highs many days have been more like September weather.
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phillips_102
Original Author
7 years ago
The tree is very old (I would say at least 50 years) -- it really is 30-35 feet tall. Trunk is about a yard in diameter. Many of the leaves come in bright red and don't completely green up for a month or two -- especially with 2 trunks that face neighbor's yard (he does use insecticides). Stresses include drought in Austin 3-4 years ago for about 2 years. There is some mold but not sooty. It did weep last few years but never saw aphids. Loses leaves early (last 2 falls). Previous treatments: thinned branches (for air flow), treated for sooty mold (just in case), added fertilizer and vitamins to soil. This weekend, I carefully uncovered the crown and root flare -- I think that it was buried about 7-8 years ago when the previous owner did landscaping. Took out about 8-12 inches of soil. Do you think this will help? I noticed that the clay soil facing neighbor's yard was especially wet (he has sprinkler system) and those trunks were buried much more deeply. Fingers crossed -- it is a beautiful tree and we want to save it!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
I think that it was buried about 7-8 years ago when the previous owner
did landscaping. Took out about 8-12 inches of soil. Do you think this
will help?

==>>> uhhhh.. YEAH ....

trees are not children.. they dont need vitamins ... and a tree this age.. does not need to be fed.. nor educated ... etc ... just stop this stuff .. imo ...

can we see a pic of a yard wide trunk ...

you need to react in tree time.. now that you removed the 12 inches of soil.. give it a year or two to respond .. as i like to say.. dont kill it with too much love ...

how big an area was soil added to ... and how much of that area.. can you remove.. how far did you go.. beyond the trunk and root flare... how about a pic ...

ask your neighbor to insure he is not adding water to your yard ... observe thoroughly before having the discussion ... to devine.. where the water is coming from .... [lol.. see what i did there ...]

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=devine&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=water+divining&*
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
7 years ago
If a crapemyrtle is weeping (dripping), it has either aphids or leaf hoppers. Absolutely.

I agree that the neighbor's landscaping could have caused damage to your plant, but disagree with ken's other statement. An established landscape tree that has been severely disturbed should absolutely be tended to. Watering certainly, maybe mulch or compost.

As I said before....sooty mold is always caused by an insect pest infestation. Unless you have identified and are properly treating for the insect, you're wasting your time.

Red leaves on 30 foot crepe myrtle

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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Red leaves on 30 foot crepe myrtle

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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phillips_102Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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phillips_102
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