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Shrubs Florida Gardening Garden Clinic

Rootball fell away moving large blooming crepe myrtles

5 years ago

I know its not a good idea to move large bushes during summer in Florida, but these were planted by previous homeowner where they could drop tiny blooms in our pool and they ruined our motor! These are about 3 feet high and 4 round, so not giants, ut still pretty heafy bushes. We'd watered them well for a few days, moved in the evening, tried to use double shovel method with three people and a tarp. The rootballs just disintegrated anyway. Two came away pretty much bareroot! We moved anyway to soil-amended holes we'd prepared and watered well. What should we do know? Will they surely die? Such a shame because these were beautiful specimens in full, glorious purple bloom! I am heartsick!

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Embothrium

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

The Myth of Vitamin Stimulants

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/vitamin-b1.pdf

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Comments (12)

roseguy
5 years ago
I have found it best not to water a plant to be moved. It seems to always loosen the soil as it did in your case. At this point I would just keep them well watered and see what happens. Many people would tell you to cut the plant back, I find that this frequently causes more stress. They will go through a period where you may regret your actions, but a year from now I think you will find that they have adjusted.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
i understand.. you did what you did.. when it needed be done ... so be it ...

in my sand ... i cant really dig a rootball ... the sand just falls off .. and bare root is not that big a deal ....

so you just proceed and hope for the best ...

see link on doing it the best way ... WHEN THAT IS AN OPTION ... which it wasnt here ..

i would not be surprised.. if all the leaves fall off .. but if you perfect watering.. perhaps it will releaf ... keep in mind.. you moved a root mass ... and if you dont kill the roots.. most shrubs can recover ....

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
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When to transplant crepe myrtle trees?
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July 22 or so....in the South of the Houston area. A recent relocation from PA to TX has been a good transition for my planting beds around the house. So far my challenge has been to get. HOSTA to grow to any size down here. it just so happens that I just bought ALL the planting soils organic soil pest garden soils sand etc. with the "full intent to transplant a 4 year old Crepe shrub.(its never been pruned in this Development. It's one of three, but blocking a Bedroom window and can't be seen under a young Oak Tree Canopy.. My PLAN was to Transplant it NOW.., this week. I figured my EXCELLENT Skill and Success in PA would surely work in the area of Texas, near the Gulf would work here. After hearing everyone's experience, I think I will WAIT UNTIL FALL ... October I think. FOLLOWING THE TEXA RECIPE SEEM SMARTER TO ME...., but waiting is HARD. My crepe does need "shaping" and I'm trying to figure out what'll look like. I'm thinking that I'll "shape it" after the last flower petals drop. Any time I've Transplanted a shrub, bush or Tree in PA, I've ALWAYS pruned the upper Growth to some extent depending on the volume of Rootball I'd been successful in removing it. Bigger ball less pruning. Smaller ball more pruning. Tamping in the rootball at points along the way, with existing and amended soil for a tight fit to the planting hole/sight was key for me. So I'd guess that'd be true with Crepes. East coast watering in the Fall for these plants was every other day, to a depth equal to the base of the root ball....4-8 gallons est. Back to Crepes, it sounds like Fall Transplant and Don't over water. Mulch the area..., create a V-shaped trench around the tree and planting area. Don't build a "mound" of Mulch, rather create a shallow "bowl shape" around the Tree that encourages water to filter down onto the Root ball. Ed..... The ....Too Long Story Teller"
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This is the first time I've ever heard anybody refer to a crepe myrtle as ugly or as a beast. I'd caution any new homeowner against destroying *anythng*, in the garden or in the house, for a while; you don't want to destroy an asset just to prove your ownership of the territory. Gardening in the ground utilizes much more space & takes much more in the way of plants, paths, & diversity than container gardening. It looks like there's plenty of room for a sun garden, &, although your profile doesn't indicate what state you're in, I think in zone 8 you'll be grateful for a little shade as well as for the chance to do some shade gardening. The main thing to remember with crepe myrtles is not to butcher them; in the past, people have amputated the limbs, thinking that they're 'pruning' the tree. Well, what you end up with is something that looks like amputation followed by re-growth, sort of like the tree has fingers growing out of its wrists! google 'crepe' or 'crape' 'murder' to see images. If that were my crepe myrtle, I'd remove the suckers that are growing out of the ground at the base of the trunk, & then 'limb up' the tree: Start with the lowest branches & remove them near the trunk, leaving the branch collar (iow, don't flush cut against the trunk, it makes the tree susceptible to infection). Do a little at a time, & then back away & look at it before you do more. One great thing about crepe myrtles is that, even if you take a little too much, they'll recover. & the other great things are that they're nice medium-sized ornamental trees & that they bloom, ravishingly beautiful, all summer, when most flowers are resting. I hope you give yourself time to observe this beautiful ornamental in all its phases, & I wish you the best.
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Rodney, just cut off the tips where the flowers are (or were). They should re-bloom on the new growth they will put out there. I just did one of mine today. The other one is still blooming so I'll wait a few days for that one. I'm fortunate that mine are almost immune to powdery mildew. Last summer one of my very large crepe myrtles had a bad case of mildew. It was actually touching one of the dwarfs, but the little guy never got sick. I personally prefer to trim. Flower production is better and I think they look much neater with the annual shaping. However, not all cultivars will look good shaped as trees. I have 2 Acomas that have semi-pendulous growth habit, so I only tip-prune and tidy-up these.
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bdeimel, if those were my trees, I'd most likely not cut anything just yet. I'd let them sprout growth wherever they were able and let that become my guide. Then later in the season when it's clear what's alive and what's dead, I'd begin removing the dead wood. Once you're down to just living wood, I'd then begin to prune for shape (much like you do any regular tree). There is an exception to cutting out the dead wood: If that wood is helping the new growth to "stand" upright instead of flopping over, then I'd leave the dead wood in place until the new growth can hold itself up without help. So, in effect, the dead branches would serve as stakes, holding up the new growth. If the tree's shape would be permanently deformed in the end, you may want to cut the entire tree back to the ground and start it over. It's a little late in the year to do that now so I'd probably wait until next year. Plus, by then, you should have a better idea of what the tree will look like with the new growth and then can make a more informed decision on whether to keep it that way or cut it down and restart it.
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sharon2079
5 years ago
I find that if I use a product called Super Thrive. It is a Vitamin K and B solution and it really helps to keep the roots from getting to stressed and the plant going in shock. If you can't find that, get a product that helps stress of roots. Also, you might try putting the plant in a humidity tent for a couple of days and keep the plant in shade.
mr1010
5 years ago
Have no fear, they're probably fine after the initial shock of moving. I had a clump

growing in my horse pasture and tried to dig it up and ended up with 5 or 6 plants, stuck them in the ground and they're all doing fine.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
If they start looking stressed, give them some portable shade for a couple of weeks so they aren’t losing quite as much moisture through transpiration via leaves.
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
5 years ago
I second what is written above. CM are very hardy and want to live (unlike some plants that really challenge you and say "I want to die... try and get around that!"). All of this was written above, so I'm just repeating: I would keep watering them well (twice a day); providing temporary shade is a GREAT idea (if you have a tent or awning; below are pictures of a "shade cage" idea someone once posted - looks very easy to make and not too expensive, I wouldn't think); I would not cut them back; I would not hope for a lot this year except to keep them alive. As said by others, I bet next year they will be just fine.

Carol in Jacksonville
dirtygardener
5 years ago
I had a car accident happen in front of my house in the country once, and one of the cars dragged one of my CMs out of the ground and landed on top of it. When they towed the car off, it dragged it again, breaking off most of the limbs. I cut off all the damaged limbs, stuck it back in the ground, kept it watered, and while it looked dead until the next spring, it came back out and grew and bloomed like mad. Everyone kept telling me I should just dig it up and toss it, but I said no, that it would be fine, and it was. Of course, it turned from a tree into a bush, but it was the pretties CM I had.
marcia_m
5 years ago
That's good to hear, Deb. I have 2 crape myrtles in front of our new home and they've been subjected to 'crape murder' pruning. I am thinking of cutting them way down this winter and turning them into shorter specimens. I hope it works and the HOA won't fine me for doing it!
dirtygardener
5 years ago
Marcia, you can cut them all the way down to nubs and they'll come back from the bottom, then you can choose how many trunks you want to keep. Haven't you seen those in the medians in NP and Venice that were hit by cars, and were coming back up from the roots?

Better ask the HOA, though. I hope they don't keep you from planting your gardens once you move in. HOAs can be so horrible! I purposely chose a house that wasn't deed restricted so I could do what I wanted with my yard.
marcia_m
5 years ago
Deb, there are 'rules' at the HOA, but I let my gardens get too out of hand at the other house--I didn't know plants would get 12 feet tall and run like crazy in one season :) I might like some rules! I have a bunch of plants in pots and I'll see how I like gardening that way. If HOA living isn't for us, we can always move again!
dirtygardener
5 years ago
Marcia, I understand. I created a monster in my old yard, and if I wasn't restricted by space here, I'd do the same. I have a friend who moved into a condo with a small courtyard to rein her gardening in, then THAT got out of control, so she just dug everything up and grew a few container plants.

When I moved here, I thought I would only be able to garden in my courtyard (11 x 14), but then they went and told me I could do anything I wanted around my apartment, and I went crazy. It's going to be crazy when I move, because it all has to come out for the new tenant, so they can do what they want with the space.

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