To late for Crape?

[WorkingOnPatience]

I was on an adventure today with my family at lowes to pick up a nice sturdy shepards hook to hang my super duper "as seen on TV" strawberry topsy turvy when I stumbled across a great looking little crape myrtle with some nice, interesting, funky chinese style nebari. I say little but it stands about 4 feet high (that's including the pot). Anyway, I had to get it and have been reading up on crapes and have seen that it's not recommended to prune until fall or repot after the leaves have done come out. Was wondering if this was only because you will sacrifice the flowering of the tree or if it will potentially harm and kill it. I'd like to go ahead and hack this baby back a little bit and repot it but I don't want to throw away $25. I'm in VA zone 7b. Any other advice will be appreciated. I've already read solme helpful things on here! While I'm on here though, I also read they should be kept at temps no lower than 45F in winter. What's the best way of managing that where I'm at. I was hoping I could just store it in my shed.

By the way, my 1 ton topsy turvy bent my solid steel shepards hook down like it was rubber. I think next year ill be trying out the clay strawberry planters. Oh well, $5 walmart special, you get what you pay for...

 

[WorkingOnPatience]

Quick fix: this particular crape is a "Pink Velour", hardiness zone 6 ( 0 to -10).

 

[Smoke]

I'm not that interested in seeing the tree, but the sight of that bent shepards hook with a huge topsy turvy has really peeked my interest! Got any pictures of that?


Just kidding! How about the a pic of the tree?

 

[milehigh_7]

My crapes stay out till about mid 20's I have only pruned and re-potted in late winter / early spring and so far so good. I realize that is not much to go on but it is my experience. Yes show the tree!

 

[WorkingOnPatience]

Sorry, I have pictures but can't post them for some reason. Must be an issue with the fact that I'm doing this from a smart phone.... I don't know. I can post some next time I'm visiting my parents house from their computer, might just have to wait till then : ).

 

[jk_lewis]

My shohin crape myrtle stay outside year round in temps down to the single digits. I've had no problems. Also, whoever said no pruning until fall doesn't know what he/she is talking about. I'd probably hold off a repot now, if possible, though I think it is do-able if they're given careful after care.

But you certainly can do rough shaping and wiring now. Careful aboout leaving wires on too long.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Also, whoever said no pruning until fall doesn't know what he/she is talking about.

Unless they're talking about having blooms, which likely won't happen if you pinch and prune all growing season.

 

[jkd2572]

I have a crape I've trunk chopped twice. Comes back like crazy. We're I live crapes in landscaping are severely pruned back every year. They are like weeds. Very hard to kill.

 

[Oliver Muscio]

I'll second (or third) what JKL said. I keep my crapes over winter (temps usually down to 10F, sometimes lower) in an unheated shed. Sure, you can prune now, through most of the summer unless you want flowers, but I would probably leave major root-work until next spring.
Oliver

 

[WorkingOnPatience]

I'll second (or third) what JKL said. I keep my crapes over winter (temps usually down to 10F, sometimes lower) in an unheated shed. Sure, you can prune now, through most of the summer unless you want flowers, but I would probably leave major root-work until next spring.
Oliver

Sounds good! So enlighten my clarification if you would... : ) If I do major/heavy pruning now (middle of May obviously) on the whole tree (lop off about 2/3), I most likely will not get any flowers through summer and fall? Most all of the branches which look like they are going to produce flowers are on the top of the tree, which is why I am asking.

 

[Oliver Muscio]

No guarantees, but it is still fairly early in the season, and if you prune now, you may still get flowers later in the summer. Continuous pruning throughout the summer will, however, prevent flowering.
Oliver

 

[JudyB]

Most of the time, crape's are grown in bonsai culture as a non flowering tree. Meaning that the flowers are mostly cut off, and the focal point of the tree, is the exfoliating and colorful bark/trunk. The flowers when they happen on these, reach far out of the canopy, and are out of scale, and look rather alien to the tree. I've let mine flower a couple times, and although the flowers are pretty, it doesn't work within the image of the tree. If you want, you can let it flower, but it's sort of beside the point... Put one to flower in your landscape instead... You can prune these pretty far into the season, and still get flowers later if you stop before the growth slows. At least that's been my experience with them.

 

[CamdenJim]

Most of the time, crape's are grown in bonsai culture as a non flowering tree. Meaning that the flowers are mostly cut off, and the focal point of the tree, is the exfoliating and colorful bark/trunk.

An exception might be a dwarf crape myrtle - like this one.

 

[JudyB]

That's a nice one CamdenJim... mine, not so attractive... But I always wanted to see what the color was, so let it go once. probably won't unless I can find a way to keep the spurs from extending so far.

 

[CamdenJim]

Love those roots!

 

[JudyB]

Thanks CJ, I just took wire off this guy yesterday, and he's in a new pot this year too... I'll try to take a photo and update that thread...
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?7182-exposed-root-Crape-Myrtle