My Purple Cow

[sorce]

This one requires all your attention to detail!
It's awesome!

That is to say....
It seems like you haven't "fallen in love" with this one...
Like the yews.

Love this one too!

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

That is to say....
It seems like you haven't "fallen in love" with this one...
Like the yews.

Love this one too!

Sorce

Oh no....I do love this one much!
I actually tried to wire it when the shoots were still green, and I realized with the first branch that that was a bad idea...snapped off at the base...
Then I tried again once lignified, and they are too brittle to bend....

So I am quite OK using a basic clip and grow method on it.....or I can try to hit that sweet spot during lignification where the base of the branch is strong enough to stay put, but the rest is still moveable...

 

[Velodog2]

I've never had a problem bending crape branches after they've lignified. That is to say they've never broken. I've even used clamp benders successfully. Maybe you need to let them thicken just a bit more? Or maybe your cultivar is different.

Edit - nah, looking back on your pics those branches should bend relatively easily. They look actually a little thicker than ideal for shaping. Still, clip and grow is an important element of shaping these guys. But the fine-tuning with wire is important too.

 

[sorce]

Oh no....I do love this one much!
I actually tried to wire it when the shoots were still green, and I realized with the first branch that that was a bad idea...snapped off at the base...
Then I tried again once lignified, and they are too brittle to bend....

So I am quite OK using a basic clip and grow method on it.....or I can try to hit that sweet spot during lignification where the base of the branch is strong enough to stay put, but the rest is still moveable...

I've never had a problem bending crape branches after they've lignified. That is to say they've never broken. I've even used clamp benders successfully. Maybe you need to let them thicken just a bit more? Or maybe your cultivar is different.

Edit - nah, looking back on your pics those branches should bend relatively easily. They look actually a little thicker than ideal for shaping. Still, clip and grow is an important element of shaping these guys. But the fine-tuning with wire is important too.

A dude with experience may know...

But investigate some things to make it bend easier....

Type of fert. And all things fert.

Time of day and all things well Watered or near wilting...

Etc...

I've noticed big difference in ability to bend things by paying attention to these things.

One day wiring is easy...
Another day not so much....

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

A dude with experience may know...

But investigate some things to make it bend easier....

Type of fert. And all things fert.

Time of day and all things well Watered or near wilting...

Etc...

I've noticed big difference in ability to bend things by paying attention to these things.

One day wiring is easy...
Another day not so much....

Sorce

Good point!

 

[just.wing.it]

I've never had a problem bending crape branches after they've lignified. That is to say they've never broken. I've even used clamp benders successfully. Maybe you need to let them thicken just a bit more? Or maybe your cultivar is different.

Edit - nah, looking back on your pics those branches should bend relatively easily. They look actually a little thicker than ideal for shaping. Still, clip and grow is an important element of shaping these guys. But the fine-tuning with wire is important too.

I'll try wiring it again this winter....
Maybe the branches will be nice and flexy for winter snowfall.

 

[just.wing.it]

Going strong!
Just pinched the tips out if some of the strongest shoots.

 

[just.wing.it]

Close up of bark, about 40 days since last pics.
It's still green colored underneath...weird
Thought it might darken up by now...
Top is still growing.

 

[Giga]

Seems to be moooooooving along

 

[just.wing.it]

Seems to be moooooooving along

Hahaha!, yeah she's doing well!

 

[defra]

Nice !
Just bought myself two smaller ones today never came across them in the nursery before glad i finaly found some
I hear they dont like frost to much how do you get it trough winter ?

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice !
Just bought myself two smaller ones today never came across them in the nursery before glad i finaly found some
I hear they dont like frost to much how do you get it trough winter ?

I put all my deciduous and azaleas in an attached, unheated garage after leaves have all dropped.

 

[just.wing.it]

Well... we never had leaves drop this fall, before the freezing temps started....
Kinda like summer straight to winter...

I accidentally allowed it to freeze one night...along with all my trees...
A few look bad....this one looks the worst, and this one is one that I really have high hopes for, in the future.

I hope it pulls through...

Here it is a couple days after freezing solid....

 

[Velodog2]

Don’t worry about the leaves. I’ve had them do that in the spring when caught by a frost and they come back fine. The newer the leaves are the more susceptible they are to frost. If those were mature leaves then they must have been quite cold.

 

[just.wing.it]

Don’t worry about the leaves. I’ve had them do that in the spring when caught by a frost and they come back fine. The newer the leaves are the more susceptible they are to frost. If those were mature leaves then they must have been quite cold.

Yep, it was cold that night... they were frozen to the benches, solid.
Thanks though, makes me feel a bit better.

 

[Zach Smith]

Yep, it was cold that night... they were frozen to the benches, solid.
Thanks though, makes me feel a bit better.

What was your low temp? I've found Crapes to be very hardy. I had some frozen to my benches during a snow and ice storm in 2014 followed by 15F for a couple of nights. Didn't seem to bother them beyond losing branchlets, but that's common anyway.

Good luck!

 

[just.wing.it]

What was your low temp? I've found Crapes to be very hardy. I had some frozen to my benches during a snow and ice storm in 2014 followed by 15F for a couple of nights. Didn't seem to bother them beyond losing branchlets, but that's common anyway.

Good luck!

I'm not exactly sure of the temp, the radio weather report mentioned that we would get out first freeze, and I kinda figured that maybe that would only last a few hours...
Time will tell...
Thanks for that though, easing my mind even more.

 

[just.wing.it]

What was your low temp? I've found Crapes to be very hardy. I had some frozen to my benches during a snow and ice storm in 2014 followed by 15F for a couple of nights. Didn't seem to bother them beyond losing branchlets, but that's common anyway.

Good luck!

Don’t worry about the leaves. I’ve had them do that in the spring when caught by a frost and they come back fine. The newer the leaves are the more susceptible they are to frost. If those were mature leaves then they must have been quite cold.

Hey!
You guys were right!
I was cringing everytime I looked at this tree since the freeze....dreading what I'd find when I do the cut back...

Well I cut it back today, and every twig was green underneath! Yay! Oh, I was so relieved...

Here's the before and after from today.
I will take a Dremel to the 5 cut points from the first cutback at a later date, probably mid summer...I want to chew them all down flush and start healing.

 

[just.wing.it]

Old cut points did back, in need of Dremel.

 

[Wilson]

I don't have much experience with these up here, but what I have seen crapes seem mighty tough! I took some cuttings this summer, to keep as tropicals. I let em dry out completely, no leaves left, and they are growin again!