Question:
Thank you for your time. I purchased a crape
myrtle last summer and it did well for a few months. During dormancy I
did not water it very much and this spring it really looked puny.
I was told by a neighbor that has healthy nice
crape myrtles that it needed a lot more water than I was giving it; 30 gallons a week during dormancy and up to 60
gallons per week during the summer months.
My tree originally came in a 42 inch box and is
now about 18-20 feet high.
Thank You, Maria
Hi Maria,
Could you answer some questions for me?
1.
Has the tree progressed much at all from the size they were in the box?
2. Did you
fertilize the tree when you planted it? If so, with what?
3. What was the
average temperature for the next several weeks after you planted it (roughly)?
4. When you dug
out the hole for the box, did you dig it deeper than the depth of the box?
5. What kind of
amendment (if any) did you use in the hole? What percentage soil and what
percentage amendment?
Cheers, Frank
Hi Frank,
I can answer some of the
questions but not all. I purchased the tree from --------, and they dug the hole amended the soil and
fertilized my tree.
I of course watched and
the hole was at least the depth of the box if not more so.
They gave me a liquid
fertilizer to use once a month and I have added worm castings periodically.
She was my 60th birthday
present to myself and I hate to think that she isn't thriving and as beautiful
as she should be. I will say that she did flower beautifully for about a
month this summer but she isn't very full as far as leaves go.
Thank you for your patience and
help.
Maria
Hi Maria,
Amending the soil is not recommended
when you plant a crepe myrtle. Also, fertilizing any tree when it’s planted can
be harmful to the tree. The fertilizer can cause a condition where the
fertilizer salts burn the roots, causing them to form a type of scar tissue
that can dwarf the tree and stunt its growth for the rest of its life.
Also, the ideal size to start a crepe myrtle
out (or any tree for that matter) is a five gallon or smaller container. The
larger the container, the more of a possibility the plant is going to be root
bound and do poorly, plants in smaller containers naturally establish better
than ones in larger containers.
The once a month fertilizing is way too much
for the plant. Most ornamental trees and shrubs should only be fertilized
once in their lifetimes, usually between 9 months and 1 year after they are
established.
Cheers, Frank
Hi Frank,
Okay thank you then
I will stop fertilizing her. What do you think
about the water amount and also do I water at all during dormancy?
Maria
Hi Maria,
Create a watering basin around
your tree (see item number 4 on this link) –fill
it with water by hand every week until the rains come. Start watering again in the mid to late
spring.
Cheers, Frank
