Crepe Myrtles Advice

Johnathan

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So, I got a couple of Myrtles from @butlern and I decided I wouldn't do anything with them this year at all. All this time they have just been hanging out on the porch and in the flower bed.

I needed to get some pics of them for an update, and also wanted to take a closer look at the moss growing on one of them.

These have been in a more shaded area than my other trees, because I don't know if they can tolerate full Oklahoma sun, but they get watered daily and fertilized like everything else. Now that I have a "shade bench" I may move them there so they will get more sun.

After taking a closer look today for the pics, I'm quite discouraged. While they are growing, they are obviously (I think) not at optimal conditions.

I know that its probably to late to repot them, but I think the bigger of the two is in a flower bed on a couple paint stirring sticks like 1/8th inch off the ground. I think it may have become infested with ants as I saw a bunch crawling around on it as I was taking these pictures.

The smaller one is my favorite and mother loved it when she came in town for Mother's Day, so I would love to get it as healthy as possible and give to her for Mother's Day next year. Its clearly in need of something to "mound" around the nebari, as my bro @tstrum suggested when he saw it in person, I just don't really know what to put onto it, or how to keep it mounded in place. I didn't remove the moss because I belive its insulating the exposed roots there.

So I come to you all my fantastic bonsai brethren for advice on how to get these babies going strong in the 2nd half of the year.

PLEASE ADVISE FREELY. Thanks in advance!
 

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sorce

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Stay vigilant for aphids!

They might be scopin it out to start bringing them.

I had to strike first last week....
Fire...fire and water...
And a lil more fire!

No...you cannot live here!

Kill them!

Sorce
 

Johnathan

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Fire???!?!?:eek:o_O

Now I'm paranoid, I saw this dude on my blue spruce on my sun bench today.... its on the other side of the house. Should I be worried?
 

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sorce

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Fire???!?!?:eek:o_O

Now I'm paranoid, I saw this dude on my blue spruce on my sun bench today.... its on the other side of the house. Should I be worried?

I use fire as a cure-all!

http://m.bugfacts.net/katydid.php

Actually says some eat aphids!
Never knew that!

I see one every year...
Never had damage.

Wrongfully killed some eggs once.
Well...I can't find what the larvae eat...
But I keep finding they eat aphids!

Egg pic..katydid_eggs.jpg

From
https://www.whatsthatbug.com/2013/03/15/katydid-eggs-4/

Sorce
 

butlern

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Hi Johnathan,

They're still kicking! Glad to see it.

When I had them, they were positioned in full sun until 2 pm. Myrtles are full sun trees. If they need water, new/younger shoots will droop as a very clear sign to let you know, but I watered liberally 2x each day in the summer.

The smaller of the two looks to have had a lot of the soil washed out of the pot. Those roots were not so exposed last year.

I would top off the pot with your favorite bonsai soil, stick it in the sun (with afternoon/evening protection) and they will both perk up and likely start flowering very soon.

Best,

Noah
 

just.wing.it

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Fire???!?!?:eek:o_O

Now I'm paranoid, I saw this dude on my blue spruce on my sun bench today.... its on the other side of the house. Should I be worried?
That's a Katydid.
They are a predator to aphids. Good have around.
I had spiders and preying mantis out on my trees yesterday. .
Everytime I catch a spider in the house, or anywhere, I put them right on the trees.
Edit:
Just noticed @sorce 's link
 

Johnathan

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Hi Johnathan,

They're still kicking! Glad to see it.

When I had them, they were positioned in full sun until 2 pm. Myrtles are full sun trees. If they need water, new/younger shoots will droop as a very clear sign to let you know, but I watered liberally 2x each day in the summer.

The smaller of the two looks to have had a lot of the soil washed out of the pot. Those roots were not so exposed last year.

I would top off the pot with your favorite bonsai soil, stick it in the sun (with afternoon/evening protection) and they will both perk up and likely start flowering very soon.

Best,

Noah


Yeah I have been watering about 6 am and again about 6pm. I will be moving them when I get off today to my smaller shaded bench. It gets sun until about noon and then again from about 5ish to sundown. It also has a baby venus fly trap on it so maybe that will eat an ant or two lol

@sorce how fire without burning the trees?!?!? @just.wing.it I am not catching ANY spiders lol
 

drew33998

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They can take full florida sun midsummer in a bonsai pot. They are droopy by the end of the day if i dont water twice. Of course my humidity is at least 60 percent. Been 90 percent for 2 weeks now!
 

drew33998

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Here you go. Just rough wired this one. Dug from my grandmothers yard while she was still living. Crossing wires and everything. It will be cut back pretty hard when this growth lignifies prob toward the end of the summer where I will then hopefully get some ramification from cutting to the closest two buds on the secondary branches. Essentially all the shoots that I wired out will be cut back by 1/3rd but I was bored and wanted to work on something! This is in full sun all day long for me. thanks
 

Johnathan

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@butlern Noah they are doing well. I passed them over to someone who could appreciate them more. I realized after working with them that although they were quite stunning when in bloom, I just wasn't a flowering kinda guy.

I gave them to @tstrum who is a member of the local Bonsai Society. He sent me these pictures of them earlier this year after he repotted them.

I believe they are in great hands!

I hope all is well with you Bro and you and family are doing great!
 

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butlern

Shohin
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Glad to hear they are bringing some joy to someone, even a year after I left them in the ground behind my house.

Great that you passed them along and didn't just pitch them in the trash can!

Best,

Noah
 
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