crepe myrtle literati

Love Crepes, this is a cool tree...pot works nicely...great "save" ;)
 
What do you mean the "bark split"?

If you mean a portion died, then I see why you would have almost thrown it away.., if you are talking about sections of bark peeling off- that should happen every year for a healthy tree. Crepe Myrtles shed their smooth bark in long sheets during the Summer. It has nothing to do with winter protection...

This is a pretty cool tree, but after it flowers I'd prune it back hard! It is a little to "leggy" if Literati is your style goal IMO. They can be pruned back 5-6+ times in one season where I live if growing well... If you do that, most won't bloom or will bloom very sparse because they loom at the end of current year growth, but you can get faster/ better/ finer ramification and avoid the branches getting too thick and chunky...
 
What do you mean the "bark split"?

If you mean a portion died, then I see why you would have almost thrown it away.., if you are talking about sections of bark peeling off- that should happen every year for a healthy tree. Crepe Myrtles shed their smooth bark in long sheets during the Summer. It has nothing to do with winter protection...

This is a pretty cool tree, but after it flowers I'd prune it back hard! It is a little to "leggy" if Literati is your style goal IMO. They can be pruned back 5-6+ times in one season where I live if growing well... If you do that, most won't bloom or will bloom very sparse because they loom at the end of current year growth, but you can get faster/ better/ finer ramification and avoid the branches getting too thick and chunky...

Though it may seem obvious to others, and one with a very nice tree such as this would know myrtles shed, I think he is referring to the giant crack going up from the soil line all the way up to the first branch.

With all that crack...it really needs a pink thong.:eek:
 
All in all, a really cool tree in a difficult style. Be glad you didn't throw it away!


Of course if you still hate it, it is a crape myrtle, cut the trunk back to an inch and it will throw you more possibilities than you can shake a stick at!
 
Though it may seem obvious to others, and one with a very nice tree such as this would know myrtles shed, I think he is referring to the giant crack going up from the soil line all the way up to the first branch.

With all that crack...it really needs a pink thong.:eek:
Ummm... Yeah... I can SEE the dead section of trunk, that is a whole lot more than "split bark". That is half the tree dying off.. I just wouldn't have described that way I guess, that is why I was asking for clarification.
 
"what had happened was" this tree was pushed to the back of those that could be left outside during the occasional really cold Florida days. When I realized it, there was a split all the way up the trunk. I kept it on its normal watering/fertilizing schedule, the "split" section widened and cambium started rolling over. the deadwood section is really solid and hard. I just keep it clean with a wire brush. you never know when a "forgotten" tree will become one of your favorites!
 
"what had happened was" this tree was pushed to the back of those that could be left outside during the occasional really cold Florida days. When I realized it, there was a split all the way up the trunk.

I can't imagine that you can blame that on the cold. Mine go down to lower double and single digits every winter and usually come through fine (except last year and none of the trunks split; they just didn't resprout in the spring).
 
I can't imagine that you can blame that on the cold. Mine go down to lower double and single digits every winter and usually come through fine (except last year and none of the trunks split; they just didn't resprout in the spring).
I just didn't know what else to blame it on! ;)
 
When you get that foilage dialed in, reined back, this is going to be killer!

Sorce
 
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