I picked up a small crape myrtle this spring. It grew very well and flowered profusely. It's currently hanging out in the garage for the winter (right or wrong). I do have a couple of crapes in the landscape, but they are large established shrubs, but are still the last thing in the garden to wake up in the spring. I didn't want to risk it with a small potted specimen, so in the garage it stays. It needs to be repotted. It is planted too high, I had to keep piling soil on top all summer, to keep the exposed roots from drying out, and the soil is not as free draining as it should be. I have read they should be repotted before bud break, but I am uncertain as to what that means exactly. When buds are visible, but before the leaves open, or before it shows any new signs of life? I have also read that the nighttime temps should be 50, but I would think that it may be actively growing by then? The last couple years we have pretty much bypassed spring and gone from winter to summer, so the timing could be tricky. Any advice would be appreciated.
Crape Myrtle Repotting Advice
- Thread starter Carol 83
- Start date
TN_Jim
Omono
Before the leaves emerge or buds begin to open at all is what bud break is referring to. Swelling of bud initially is ok, and a sign it’s waking up from dormancy.
Many years we too have a tendency to go from spring to summer. That said mid summer or when they want to flower has been a great time for repotting them and when I’ve worked them hard the most at this time over the last couple years with 100% success. Crape myrtles are tough trees.
I overwintered mine sitting on a ping pong table in attached garage just fine last winter, and have them again in garage at new place. This seems such a mild winter this year, but they are subtropical and I don’t want them to feel the teens F* or below. @Just_Wing_It helped me with this decision and I think it’s proven the best safeguard. They’re the only ones I have in garage aside from a couple recently worked on.
Many years we too have a tendency to go from spring to summer. That said mid summer or when they want to flower has been a great time for repotting them and when I’ve worked them hard the most at this time over the last couple years with 100% success. Crape myrtles are tough trees.
I overwintered mine sitting on a ping pong table in attached garage just fine last winter, and have them again in garage at new place. This seems such a mild winter this year, but they are subtropical and I don’t want them to feel the teens F* or below. @Just_Wing_It helped me with this decision and I think it’s proven the best safeguard. They’re the only ones I have in garage aside from a couple recently worked on.
Thanks! When you repotted mid-summer did you have to sacrifice it flowering? Because to me, why have a crape if you can't see it bloom.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
I repot mine in February, before the buds move. Once they go dormant, anytime in late winter before the leaves open will be fine.
john
john
Great, thanks. Do you need to sprinkle with your pixie dust?
bwaynef
Masterpiece
My crape myrtle is one of the very last (if not the last) to start moving, usually mid spring.
My landscape ones are too, first time with a potted one. Thanks.
Mellow Mullet
Masterpiece
In the Spring, everything gets a little shot of pixie dust!
TN_Jim
Omono
I agree, but yes, anytime I see flowers or flower buds I cut them off immediately. But in a month or so they seem to snap right back, growing fast, and want to flower again.
I have one i repotted last summer I will just let go this year and enjoy it, but it’s not necessary to cut flowers, but I think doing so helps develop faster. Here’s that one, I posted it in The Tree Thread awhile back. It has white flowers, but I’m unsure of the variety.
~year ago..I took this from nursery soil, bare rooted to straight 8822 napa into a colander that summer. This photo is from a few days before Christmas 2018
Really nice transformation in a short period of time.
Zach Smith
Omono
You've gotten some good advice here. I'll only add one thing: if you repot and do some serious root work you can expect the tree to pop very soon thereafter. If you get a freeze when the new growth is just coming on, protect the tree! I lost a whole flush of new growth on one this past winter-spring thinking it could handle a light freeze with the sap running. Nope!
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I thought it was Dixie Dust!.....or is that something else....lol!
I repot mine in the buds swelling phase.....I recall last year my crape myrtle was one of the last ones to open.
bonhe
Masterpiece
[Hi Carol 83,
You should try to make cuttings from your landscape crepe myrtle instead of buying more
. You can do it even with the big cutting up to 7- 8 cm diameter.
Any way, I transplanted mine any time when it had no more leaves. If your area has a lot of rain in Fall or Winter, then when the vegetative buds swelling up, it is the best time to transplant. Since you place the plant in garage, I have no experience!
Thụ Thoại
You should try to make cuttings from your landscape crepe myrtle instead of buying more
. You can do it even with the big cutting up to 7- 8 cm diameter.Any way, I transplanted mine any time when it had no more leaves. If your area has a lot of rain in Fall or Winter, then when the v
egetative buds swelling up, it is the best time to transplant. Since you place the plant in garage, I have no experience! Thụ Thoại
Thanks. I've never had much luck with cuttings, with the exception of ficus, but the landscape one needs a good pruning, so I might as well try a few cuttings.[Hi Carol 83,
You should try to make cuttings from your landscape crepe myrtle instead of buying more
Any way, I transplanted mine any time when it had no more leaves. If your area has a lot of rain in Fall or Winter, then when the v
Thụ Thoại
Thank you, good to know. I'm thinking some serious root work will probably be necessary, and late frosts are very common here.
TN_Jim
Omono
Thanks! I only have four of them and three yrs experience, but it seems like once they’re happy, they are very vigorous -so much so, that it seems that it could be easy for them to get away from ya design-wise. From repotting, it put on over 18” of growth within in 5 weeks.
bonhe
Masterpiece
If you didn’t, you should try to use a plastic bag to cover the whole pot for cutting . With this method, I was able to do a lot of cuttings successfully.
Thụ Thoại
TN_Jim
Omono
Not to get too off the rails, but I am fascinated by the thought of an 8cm cutting...could you describe more of your steps to do this with a crape myrtle?
bonhe
Masterpiece
1- preparing the soil with pumice : mini pine bark with ratio 1:1. Placing this soil into the container with 10-20 cm in depth depending on the cutting diameter.
2-using a saw to cut the branch in slanting direction
3- placing the cutting into the soil
4- watering it copiously
5- using the clear plastic bag big enough to cover the branch and whole pot
6- placing the pot in the shady area
7- Checking the humidity of the inside environment daily. If there is no water condensation inside the bag, opening the bag a little bit and water the soil. I also use the water bottle sprayer to spray on the branch when I water the soil. The critical point for success is keeping the optimal humidity inside the bag.
8- in about 3-4 weeks, there are some new shoots coming out. I wait until the shoot about 10 cm in length,’then I start to open the bag a little bit in the area closed to the pot rim. If everything is ok, then I will open a bag a little more in the next day. Within 3-4 days, I will remove the bag completely
9- when the young leaves are more matured, I will move the pot to the morning sun area.
Good luck .
Thụ Thoại
TN_Jim
Omono
Superb! Thanks kindly
