ATTACK the MONSTER CRAPE!

R_F

Chumono
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I am on the edge of my seat! Beutiful trunk.

I almost wrecked my back again trying to solo out some boxwoods. Be careful, it's hard to convince someone they need to help you. Dinner and a movie?

LOL. Thanks.

Fortunately now that the massive root ball is gone Two people can easily move it....and I can do it myself with a little muscle.:D
 

R_F

Chumono
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Update

For those interested...I planted the root ball that was cut off and as expected it is sprouting new growth. So Now I have another massive crape myrtle! (whether it'll ever be bonsai worthy is another thing....)
 

R_F

Chumono
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I will probably transfer this to a real pot this spring. But I need help deciding if a round or square pot would fit with this tree. I tend to associate round with feminine (but not always) and square with masculine (again, not always just a general rule). I need help from those with a better eye for pot and tree pairing to tell me what they think. Would this tree be considered masculine because of its size and trunk girth? Or would it be considered feminine because it is a flowering tree?

Edit: When I say "round" I actually mean "oval". My mistake.
 
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I will probably transfer this to a real pot this spring. But I need help deciding if a round or square pot would fit with this tree. I tend to associate round with feminine (but not always) and square with masculine (again, not always just a general rule). I need help from those with a better eye for pot and tree pairing to tell me what they think. Would this tree be considered masculine because of its size and trunk girth? Or would it be considered feminine because it is a flowering tree?

Edit: When I say "round" I actually mean "oval". My mistake.

Great specimen I have it's brother from another mother a 12' diameter japanese hornbeam Cant wait to see the future development of this tree! I have mine in a 2 foot by 4 foot homedepot cement mixing tub.
 

R_F

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Great specimen I have it's brother from another mother a 12' diameter japanese hornbeam Cant wait to see the future development of this tree! I have mine in a 2 foot by 4 foot homedepot cement mixing tub.

I was at Lowes yesterday looking for something like that. I didn't find it, and didn't know what to call it so I felt dumb asking a store clerk, "do you know where I can find a big plastic thingy?":eek: Thanks for the "term"...."cement mixing tub"....I need to remember that:D

You should start a thread with your tree. I'd love to see it.
 

Gnome

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Ryan,

I was at Lowes yesterday looking for something like that. I didn't find it, and didn't know what to call it so I felt dumb asking a store clerk, "do you know where I can find a big plastic thingy?" Thanks for the "term"...."cement mixing tub"....I need to remember that
I've always known these as mortar boxes. Have you considered building one out of lumber?

Norm
 

R_F

Chumono
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Ryan,


I've always known these as mortar boxes. Have you considered building one out of lumber?

Norm

Gnome that's a great idea...I actually hadn't considered it and I don't know why. Who knows what I'll end up going with. But I'll post when I do.

Rick, thanks for the interest. It is doing great but there's nothing to show right now just overly long bare branches that need to be wired. I'll post an update after I do.
 

R_F

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Make sure you gotta a buddy to help you move it ;)

I actually moved it by myself today and now my back is killing me:eek:. It's been in the low to mid 20's at night this past week and I decided to move it off my bench and put it up against my house to give it a little more shelter from the cold. There's not much in the way of roots in that make shift pot it's in. I'm afraid the roots might be damaged....this really cold weather for this long of a period is very foreign to me:eek:
 

Tachigi

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GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!

First time I have seen this thread Ryan.....and your material floored me! OUTSTANDING.

Don't frett to much about the cold they do well up here in the artic tundra and handle it well. I realize yours is acclimated to your region but I think you might find that it can handle it.

Thanks for sharing
 

R_F

Chumono
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GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!

First time I have seen this thread Ryan.....and your material floored me! OUTSTANDING.

Don't frett to much about the cold they do well up here in the artic tundra and handle it well. I realize yours is acclimated to your region but I think you might find that it can handle it.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks Tom! :D
 

rockm

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I would not really worry about temps in the twenties TOO much--although it is pushing it for a crape in a container. They are hardy only to Zone 6 (or Zone 7--depending on whom you talk with) --and that depends on variety--Lagerstroemia Fauriei is the cold hardiest and culitvars developed from it (Catawba, Potomac, Powhatan, Cherokee and Seminole--according to the US Nat. Arb.'s page). Those are the cultivars planted here in the N. Va. area. In Fla., I'd doubt they're planting those since winter hardiness isn't much of a concern. You probably have Lagerstroemia Indica, which is hardy in Zones 7-9.

I would definitely get it under shelter and protect the roots. Temps in the twenties can be dangerous for borderline species. Repeated exposures of much below 25 F, for a few days, is a very very bad thing for exposed roots.
 
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R_F

Chumono
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I would not really worry about temps in the twenties TOO much--although it is pushing it for a crape in a container. They are hardy only to Zone 6 (or Zone 7--depending on whom you talk with) --and that depends on variety--Lagerstroemia Fauriei is the cold hardiest and culitvars developed from it (Catawba, Potomac, Powhatan, Cherokee and Seminole--according to the US Nat. Arb.'s page). Those are the cultivars planted here in the N. Va. area. In Fla., I'd doubt they're planting those since winter hardiness isn't much of a concern. You probably have Lagerstroemia Indica, which is hardy in Zones 7-9.

I would definitely get it under shelter and protect the roots. Temps in the twenties can be dangerous for borderline species. Repeated exposures of much below 25 F, for a few days, is a very very bad thing for exposed roots.

Is it a bad thing when the leaves that were the normal fall colors of yellow and orange suddenly turn to a shriveled brown? I don't recall seeing this happen in the past and since the temps have been dipping into the twenties the leaves, or what's left of them are shriveling when I thought that in years past they just turned color and fell off...never paid much attention till now that I'm concerned. Am I just being paranoid or do you think some damage has occured to the roots?
 

rockm

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I don't know. It might depend on how fast the change occured...did it happen over a few days, or immediately after a deep freeze?

If it happened immediately after a freeze, I'd suspect freeze damage to the leaves--possibly not the roots. Unfortunately, you won't know much about the roots until spring rolls around. Freeze damage in the root zone shows up when the plant tries to push new growth...

If you've got the tree under cover and the roots protected (four to six inches, or more, of shredded pine bark mulch is adequate---up against the house offers some protection, but if temps are in the twenties, it is minimal. If it were mine I would bring it inside the house until the worst of the cold (and temps are forecast to remain above 32) is gone-
 

R_F

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Thanks rock,

Maybe I should clarify one thing, it isn't constantly in the 20's. It's only that cold for short periods at night. During the day it gets as high as the mid 40's....sorry this weather pattern is very foreign to me. I'm a born and raised Floridian.
 

rockm

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Ryan,

The thing is, the less protection the roots have, the more danger there is--even if the temps only dip into the twenties.

The less root mass and soil around it, the more danger there is from freeze damage.

Big root masses are usually protected by larger soil volumes in containers--the bigger the pot, the bigger the soil mass to protect it. It takes longer to heat and cool a larger volume of soil and roots than a smaller one...

With your tree, there appears to be very little soil volume --which means there is very little buffer to dipping temperatures. Without alot of soil in the container, the roots will get colder quicker--possibly only that small dip into the twenties for an hour or three could be enough to kill roots...

Combined with the probability you're working with a less cold hardy cultivar, you should err on the side of more protection--inside, or a whole lot of mulch over the pot outside--and keep the mulch moist--water is necessary to protect roots--dry roots are even more vulnerable. The converse is also true--soggy roots aren't a good thing either. Make sure the roots get even moisture..
 

R_F

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It seems to have made it through the unusually cold winter just fine. Things are just starting to wake up here (very unusual. It's normally a month earlier for us). I put it into a cement tub because it still has a lot more branch work to develop and that tiny pot it was in was really slowing things down...as I knew it would but it was all I had at the time.
 

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