Crepe Myrtle?

[bobbywett]

Hello Folks,

Hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July weekend.

Is there a particular variety of crepe myrtle that is more suited for Bonsai that someone could recommend?

Thanks for any information.

Bobby

 

[AaronThomas]

Mine is a Pecos crêpe myrtle. Mine is still in the pre-bonsai phase however I have seen refined trees that are lovely.

 

[bobbywett]

Mine is a Pecos crêpe myrtle. Mine is still in the pre-bonsai phase however I have seen refined trees that are lovely.

I took a root cutting from one of my wife’s crepes myrtles last spring. While it’s doing great, it’s really not suited for bonsai. I gave it to my neighbor to plant in her yard.

 

[flor1]

I picked up a Chickasaw crepe myrtle that I think is going to work well small leaves and compact.

 

[VAFisher]

I think pretty much any crape myrtle will work but some are better suited to being larger bonsai. The dwarfs (like Pokomoke and many others) make great shohin and mame.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

The dwarfs (like Pokomoke and many others) make great shohin and mame.

Definitely agree! The leaves are a good size. I found regular sized CP's leaves don't reduce.

 

[bobbywett]

Thanks for the responses

 

[VAFisher]

Definitely agree! The leaves are a good size. I found regular sized CP's leaves don't reduce.

Disagree with your last point. They reduce just fine in my experience

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Disagree with your last point. They reduce just fine in my experience

Huh. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

I agree with @VAFisher , with ramification they reduce substantially. I can cut them back over 4x per season. Each time the shoots reach 4 or more pairs of leaves I'll cut back to the first set.

 

[penumbra]

I love them and have a few dwarfs like Pocomoke which almost instant bonsai. If I were not on the border zone wise, I would have many more.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

I can cut them back over 4x per season. Each time the shoots reach 4 or more pairs of leaves I'll cut back to the first set.

Good to know. I'll look at mine with an eye towards another trim. Would you also root prune this late in the season? Or is that better done in spring?

 

[TN_Jim]

Good to know. I'll look at mine with an eye towards another trim. Would you also root prune this late in the season? Or is that better done in spring?

I’ve completely bare rooted several in summer, not one in spring, never lost one to this practice.

However, the only tree I lost this year was a cm that I mulched up with the others instead of putting in garage...and it’s still alive, after sitting unwatered and out of pot for weeks, started throwing shoots at the base..threw it in a colander, can’t give up on such a fighter I suppose. The revenant...some mean trees.

 

[Jzack605]

I too have a pokomoke. Last year it stayed as raw nursery material and this year it was repotted and chopped pretty decent. It does seem like it will develop pretty quick.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Good to know. I'll look at mine with an eye towards another trim. Would you also root prune this late in the season? Or is that better done in spring?

I'd personally wait until the spring. You can go super hard on them. I root pruned one back to almost no roots this year with the main effect being it leafed out later than the others, not until the first of June.

 

[Josh m]

Here's mine