small crape myrtle

[catfish chapstick]

this little crape myrtle seems to be developing quickly. not sure exactly where i want to go with it yet. 6 inches tall from the soil, i found it last year at a nursery when its root-flare caught my attention. you can see some of the chop wounds from when i reduced it from a shrub to a trunk-line last spring. i'm expecting lots of new branches this coming spring so hopefully it will fill out a little and heal up some of the chops.

there will be some upward reaching branches, i have no intention of designing a "pine" image out of deciduous material. any thoughts, advice, or critique?

 

[snobird]

That is a beautiful find. I just want to give it a little bit more room with a slightly bigger pot for more ramification to develop and to get more soil in between the roots. I think you are right in reasoning with the upright branch structure.

 

[subnet_rx]

What variety?

 

[noissee]

Good find. I think it would look a little more tidy if the nebari were buried a little more.

 

[R_F]

Very Nice material. Keep us updated!

 

[catfish chapstick]

here's some new photos of this plant. let me know what you think i should do with it. i don't know about the variety.

 

[jk_lewis]

I'd just let it be for a while. In mid summer, snip back all branches to two or three pairs of leaves, then let it grow again.

If you repot next year, you maybe shuld plant it a bit deeper in the ground, so the roots are quite so prominent. There's too much space under them as is.

Eventually, you will want to get rid of the pointy top, but only after you have a ew more branches -- which this summers inching and pruning should help gve you.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice little myrtle. Note that if you do pinch back to 2-3 leaves in the summer, you won't have flowers; they grow at the end of the current year's growth. This also means it will look pretty rough by the time it does flower, because these things are weeds...so it's one or the other!

 

[mo's bonsai]

Nice crape, I'm a big fan of crapes myself and every time i hunt for nursery stock I do not find one with a great root system as that one. I would apply more soil medium to fill in those nebari voids but keep those roots exposed, afterall you have a very desireable root system. Let the roots get weathered and form a mature trunk to root relationship. And the wounds, well I think it gives it charecter. Keep us updated on your progress.

Mo

 

[jjbacoomba]

very nice find. keep us posted on this one in the future.

 

[jk_lewis]

It is very difficult to let a small crape myrtle like this one bloom. Branches would have to be 3-4 times longer than this to bloom and you'd lose all hope of "bonsaihood." Grow it for the bark, the roots and fall color.

 

[catfish chapstick]

here are some shots from today

 

[Mojosan]

Very nice. Wanna sell it?

 

[catfish chapstick]

Very nice. Wanna sell it?

i dont want to, however i would for the right price

 

[Bob]

Hi C.C. Nice tree!

I also have a Crape Myrtle. Since we both have similar climates, I was wondering how you get yours through the winter?

Thanks.

Bob.

 

[catfish chapstick]

Hi C.C. Nice tree!

I also have a Crape Myrtle. Since we both have similar climates, I was wondering how you get yours through the winter?

Thanks.

Bob.

thanx
i have always placed this one in an unheated garage for the winter. its connected to the house so its not too cold. my best friend has one that she keeps indoors by a window year-round and it doesn't seem to mind it at all.