This lavender inflorescence crapemyrtle is medium in size and intrepid . The quintisential tree for the Southern garden , form may roll from upright and vase - shaped to blue , horizontal , and bush - same . Mid to late summertime flower drift from pink , to white , to Red River , or lavender and variance of . To encourage a 2nd rush of flowers , remove old flowers with hand pruners . Seed heads fall out flowers and persist throught the winter , append an ornamental timber . Fall colour ranges from orange to red , and politic grey to crimson - brown bark is attractive year round . Crepe myrtle should be grown in fertile , well - drained soil in full sun , in overt areas where air circulation is good . In cool areas , the crepe myrtle is grown more like a flower shrub , that is pruned back firmly to the ground each twelvemonth . This is a monumental no - no in zone 6b and high . Prune to encourage a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - like form , take away only suckering internal shoots , thwart branches , and side shoots 4 to 8 feet from the land . If you ca n’t remove side shoots with hand pruners , you should probably leave them . low suckers may be remove with lopper .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns switch during the twenty-four hours . The western side of a sign may even be shady due to shadows cast by large trees or a social organisation from an adjacent attribute . If you have just bought a raw home or just begin to garden in your older habitation , take prison term to map sun and ghost throughout the day . You will get a more accurate tactile property for your website ’s on-key light conditions . Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning admit : pinching , cutting , shearing and rejuvenate .
Pinching is removing the root tips of a new plant to raise branching . Doing this forefend the need for more austere pruning later on .
cutting affect removing whole branch back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the interior of a flora to allow more luminosity in and to increase air circulation that can swerve down on plant disease . The good room to begin cutting is to set about by get rid of dead or pathological wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using helping hand or electric shears . This is done to maintain the desired embodiment of a hedge or topiary .
Rejuvenating is removal of honest-to-god branches or the overall decrease of the size of it of a shrub to reconstruct its original form and size of it . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a flora at a time . Remember to remove branches from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with canes , such as nandina , reduce back canes at various stature so that industrial plant will have a more innate look . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant operation , it is desirable to pit the right plant with the available swooning precondition . Right plant , good place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient visible radiation may become pallid in colour , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also look plants to grow slower and have fewer efflorescence when light is less than worthy . It is possible to provide auxiliary lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also receive too much visible radiation . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct Lord’s Day , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as picture to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , unmediated sunshine per Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Watering
If the problem is only on the surface , it mayhap diverted to a drainage ditch . If drainage is pathetic where water system table is in high spirits , establish an underground drainage scheme . You should contact a declarer for this . If undercover drains already exist , hold in to see if they are blocked .
Gallic drainpipe are another alternative . Gallic drain are ditches that have been fill with gravel . It is fine to constitute sod on top of them . More obtrusive , but a serious answer where looks are n’t as important , think of the Gallic drain as a ditch replete with gravel . Ditches should be 3 to 4 metrical foot abstruse and have sloping sides .
A soakway is a gravel filled pit where water is diverted to via underground pipes . This works well on website that have compacted filth . Your soakway should be about 6’wide and deep and occupy with gravel or crush stone , transcend with sand and sodded or seeded .
Keep in mind that it is illegal to deviate water onto other multitude ’s property . If you do not finger that you could apply a workable solution on your own , call a declarer . puppet : Watering AidesNo gardener look 100 % on natural rain . Even the most urine witting garden appreciates the proper hosiery , watering can or wand .
The key to lachrymation is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , H2O well , i.e. cater enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - solid ground plants , this means thoroughly pawn the grease until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 column inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plant , apply enough water supply to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
attempt to water plants early on in the day or subsequently in the afternoon to conserve urine and cut down on plant stress . Do H2O early enough so that H2O has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to nighttime declension . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they get to the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip organisation which tardily drip moisture immediately on the rootage organization can be purchased at your local dwelling and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool the antecedent zone and keep up moisture .
Consider adding water - deliver gel to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful term . Be certain to follow label management for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that filth should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions need . Most plants like 1 inch of water a workweek during the grow season , but take care not to over piddle . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for governing body . The first class is critical . It is better to water once a hebdomad and water profoundly , than to H2O ofttimes for a few minutes . How - to : Reduce WateringThis works postulate less lachrymation during wintertime month , so reduce watering from late November through early March .
Planting
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , diseased , damaged , or traverse offset , can be done in former spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , new growth which produces summer heyday - in other parole , flush look on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut back shoots , and take out some of the old ontogenesis , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers seem on wood from former twelvemonth . Cut back flowered stems by 1/2 , to strong growing raw shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stem a span of inches from the ground ) Always off numb , damaged or morbid woodwind first , no matter what character of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . saltation : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . summertime after blossom : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Pruning Trees After PlantingIt is critical to clip trees correctly from the commencement to assure proper growth and development . immature trees can be transplant in a number of manikin : bare solution , ball & burlap and in containers . The more stress the industrial plant undergoes in the graft process , the more pruning that is required to compensate .
Deciduous trees like maples ( those that liberate their farewell in the fall ) can be compass up and sold with their desolate roots exposed . Because most of the root system is lost in labor , sufficient top ontogenesis should be removed to compensate for this deprivation . This may be done at the nursery before you buy the plant or you may have to prune at the time of planting . Select and channelize back the skilful scaffold branches , i.e. those branches which will form the main lateral structure of the future fledged tree diagram . Remove all other extraneous side branches . If the tree seedling does not have branches , allow it to grow to the desired top of branching then pinch it back to stimulate the lower buds to form branches .
Ball and burlap Tree are dug up with their source systems moderately intact . This was mostly done for conifers and broadleaf evergreen plant , but has become vulgar for deciduous Tree as well . Since some root mass is lose in the labor stage , a light pruning is generally called for . manoeuver back the works to compensate for this loss and to push ramify .
Trees that are grown in containers generally do not loose roots in the transplantation form . Therefore you do not generally have to prune them unless there is some root accidental injury or limb price in the planting process .
Once you have your tree planted , be patient . Do not remove shoots from the proboscis betimes on as these allow the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to grow more rapidly and also shade the lovesome young trunk from sun - scald . Wait a few age to set about develop the tree diagram to its ultimate form . How - to : Planting ShrubsDig a hole twice the size of the ancestor ball and deep enough to institute at the same level the bush was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wide and fill with a mixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and gently separate roots . Position in center of jam , best side facing ahead . fill up in with original soil or an amended mixture if needed as draw above . For larger shrubs , work up a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , remove fasteners and fold back the top of innate burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . Make certain that all gunny is bury so that it wo n’t wick H2O away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic burlap , remove if possible . If not possible , bring down away or make slits to tolerate for roots to uprise into the new soil . For enceinte shrubs , build a H2O well . Finish by mulching and irrigate well .
If shrub is stark - solution , see for a discolouration somewhere near the basis ; this mark is likely where the grime line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , impart organic matter . This will avail with both drain and pee holding capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and watering well . How - to : Pruning Flowering HedgesCareful selection , planting and initial pruning is critical for a uniform formal or informal hedge . The safest time to prune most flowering hedges is immediately after flowering . This direction you do not crop aside freshly work buds if you hold off until later in the year . Initially , thin out back leaders and lateral by one third to one half on planting . In 2d time of year , once flowering is complete , cut down back again by about one - third .
A hedge can provide privacy and protection from wind . hedgerow should be sloped at a docile slant , spacious at the nucleotide , to deflect wind and avoid snow damage . extend a line between two stakes for a level top . trim a guide from heavy composition board for a consistent form and move it along the hedge as you trim down . Shears or an electric trimmer should be held parallel to the phone line of the hedging . How - to : Staking TreesStakingis done differently depend on the size and flexibility of the tree , and the windiness of the planting situation . Generally only trees that are plant in tedious , exposed locations call for to be staked . For most Tree , a low stake is preferred , to let the tree move naturally . For windy areas or pliable trees , apply a in high spirits interest . For Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree more than 12 feet tall , use two scummy stake on opposite sides of the tree or several guy ropes . The tie used require to accommodate growth and not have barque damage with rubbing . Buckle - and - spacer tie can be find out at garden centers , they are expandible and have a protective spacer . Ties without spacers should be formed into a figure eight to create cushioning . Latest studies have demonstrate that when back a tree , provide enough allowance so that the tree diagram can move back and forth in the wind . potent antecedent will evolve this way . If the tree diagram can not move back and forth , these authoritative roots will not develop and the tree diagram might fall over during a storm , once stakes are removed . When implant a tree , stake at the time of planting if staking is a requisite . How - to : engraft a TreeDig out an area for the tree diagram that is about 3 or 4 times the diameter of the container or rootball and the same depth as the container or rootball . employ a pitchfork or shovel to scarify the sides of the hole .
If container - grown , lie in the tree on its side and slay the container . untie the roots around the edge without breaking up the root formal too much . Position tree in centre of attention of hole so that the best side faces forth . You are quick to start filling in with soil .
If implant a balled and burlaped tree diagram , place it in fix so that the good side confront ahead . Untie or polish off nail from burlap at top of ball and draw gunny back , so it does not bind out of hole when soil is replaced . Synthetic burlap should be get rid of as it will not decay like natural gunny . Larger trees often come in wire baskets . Plant as you would a b&b plant life , but cut as much of the wire away as potential without in reality removing the basket . Chances are , you would do more hurt to the rootball by removing the basket . Simply cut away wires to leave several heavy openings for roots .
Fill both gob with dirt the same way of life . Never improve with less than half original dirt . Recent studies show that if your dirt is loose enough , you are better off adding little or no land amendments .
make a H2O ring around the outer border of the hole . Not only will this conseve water supply , but will steer moisture to perimeter root , encouraging outer growth . Once Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is demonstrate , water band may be leveled . Studies show that mulched trees grow faster than those unmulched , so add a 3 " " bed of pinestraw , compost , or pulverized barque over backfilled country . Remove any damaged limbs . How - to : make a HedgeHedges can be trained to be informal with only occasional defining or to have a more stately shape with judicious pruning .
Shear off the top 2 to 6 inches several times during the first two seasons . Shearing of the tiptop and English will promote furcate . A vernacular mistake the great unwashed make is to cut the slope at a 90 degree angle . In this case the top increment shades the bottom resulting in a leggy open canopy . It is best to cut the side at an slant so that they flare out at the bottom . This will ensure healthy and thick growth all the way down to the bottom of the bush .
Problems
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plant from those that are not . look up your local garden midpoint professional or the Cooperative Extension position in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage lifelike enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help reduce universe level of mealy glitch . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare low , winged insect that calculate like tiny moths , which assail many types of plant . The fly grownup stage prefer the underside of leave-taking to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply promptly as a female can lie up to 500 eggs in a living span of 2 months . If a flora is infest with whitefly , you will see a cloud of flee insects when the industrial plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a industrial plant , eventually leading to implant death if they are not moderate . They can transmit many harmful works virus . They also produce a sweet gist call honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal maturation call up jet mould .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; get rid of infested plants away from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , apply label pesticides ; encourage raw enemy such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower bath of piss will wash them off the plant life . Pest : AphidsAphids are small , delicate - embodied , slow - moving insects that suck fluid from plants . Aphidscome in many colors , wander from gullible to brown to black , and they may have backstage . They attack a all-embracing range of plant species cause stunting , deformed leaves and buds . They can transmit harmful works viruses with their pierce / sucking mouthparts . Aphids , broadly speaking , are merely a pain in the neck , since it takes many of them to do serious works damage . However aphid do produce a fresh substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an untempting mordant Earth’s surface increase call sooty cast .
Aphids can increase speedily in numbers and each female can grow up to 250 live nymph in the course of a month without mating . Aphids often seem when the surroundings change - leap & spill . They ’re often massed at the tips of arm feeding on lush tissue paper . Aphids are pull to the color yellow and will often thumb on chickenhearted clothing .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds to an absolute lower limit , specially around suitable plants . On victuals , wash out off infect area of plant life . dame bugs and lacewings will feed on aphids in the garden . There are various products - constituent and inorganic - that can be used to control aphids . Seek the recommendation of a professional and follow all label procedures to a tee . Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably find on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where Night are nerveless and years are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is commonly find on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . New leafage emerges crease and twisted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant kind and outer space plants properly so they receive passable Christ Within and breeze circulation . Always water from below , keeping body of water off the leafage . This is predominate for rosiness . Go slowly on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides harmonize to label centering before problem becomes grave and accompany directions exactly , not miss any need discourse . Sanitation is a must - cleanse up and take away all leaves , blossom , or junk in the fall and put down . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , relate to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide assortment of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protect by its hard shell layer . They come along as bumps , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue . Scales can break a plant leading to yellow foliage and leafage drop . They also bring out a sweet substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive ignominious open fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to operate . Isolate infested works away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension authority in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . Encourage raw enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden .
Miscellaneous
Although many people trust that cooler temperature are creditworthy for the color modification , the weather condition has nothing to do with it at all . As the days develop unforesightful and the nights longer , a chemical clock inside the trees part up , releasing a hormone which restricts the flow of sap to each leaf . As gloaming progresses , the sap menses slows and chlorophyll , the chemical substance that gives the leaves their unripened color in the spring and summertime , vanish . The residuary sap becomes more saturated as it dry , create the colors of fall . Glossary : HedgeAhedgeis any tree diagram , bush , perennial , yearly or herb that can be clipped and maintained in a formal or intimate shape . Hedges can provide privacy and delineate place lines as well as elbow room of a garden . Glossary : SpecimenAspecimencan be a tree , shrub , ground cover , yearly , or perennial that is unequalled in comparison to the surrounding flora . singularity may be in colouring material , form , grain , or size . By using only one specimen plant in a visual region , it can be showcased . Specimen plant are accents in the landscape painting , just as statue , urine features , or arbor . Glossary : Mostly SandMostly Sandis grease that : drains quickly , has some organic thing , and a corpuscle size between .50 - 1.0 mm . Light grey to grey in color . seldom form a ball when squeezed in the paw unless dampish or wet . Glossary : DeciduousDeciduousrefers to those plants that lose their leaves or needle at the end of the maturate season . Glossary : ShrubShrub : is a deciduous or evergreen woody perennial that has multiple ramification that form near its base . gloss : TreeTree : a woody perennial with a jacket crown of branches that begin atop a single stem or trunk . The exclusion to this normal is multi - trunk tree , which some may contend are really very large bush . gloss : pHpH , means the voltage of Hydrogen , is the measurement of alkalinity or acidity . In gardening , pH refers to the pH of soil . The scale measures from 0 , most acid , to 14 , most alkaline . Seven is achromatic . Most plants favor a range between 5.5 and about 6.7 , an acid range , but there are plenty of other plants that like soil more alkaline , or above 7 . A pH of 7 is where the plant can most easily absorb the most nutrients in the soil . Some flora choose more or less of sure food , and therefore do better at a certain pH.Glossary : Landscape UsesBy search Landscape Uses , you will be able to pinpoint plants that are best suited for particular uses such as trellis , border plantings , or foundations . Glossary : Soil TypesA soil eccentric is defined by granule size , drain , and amount of organic material in the soil . The three main soil type are guts , loam and clay . Sand has the largest subatomic particle size of it , no constitutional matter , little to no natality , and drains rapidly . Clay , at the opposite remainder of the spectrum , has the small-scale subatomic particle sizing , can be rich in organic issue , fertility and moisture , but is often infeasible because particles are take hold together too tightly , result in misfortunate drainage when wet , or is brick - alike when dry . The optimal grease type is loam , which is the happy median between guts and corpse : It is high in constitutional matter , nutrient - plenteous , and has the perfect H2O property capacity .
You will often hear loam refer to as a flaxen loam ( having more George Sand , yet still quite a little of organic matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the the Great Compromiser , yet workable with good drainage . ) The addition of organic issue to either sand or clay will result in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your dirt is a Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin , corpse , or loam ? try out this simple test . Squeeze a handfull of slightly moist , not wet , soil in your hand . If it forms a tight ball and does not come down asunder when gently tapped with a finger , your soil is more than potential cadaver . If soil does not form a testicle or crumbles before it is tapped , it is gumption to very sandy loam . If ground forms a ball , then crumbles readily when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several quick , faint wiretap could mean a clay loam . Glossary : Mostly ClayMostly Clayrefers to colly that requires feat to work . Particle size is normally below .002 mm in size , and therefore , air space is greatly shrink . drain could be a problem , especially in pack soils . Forms a pixilated ball when nip and necessitate several unwavering strike to break it aside . Often brightly yellow to red orange tree in colouring . Becomes severely when dried out . The addition of constitutional matter ameliorate texture , drain , airwave electrical capacity , and reduces " " stickiness . ““Glossary : TolerantTolerant refers to a plant ’s ability to tolerate exposure to an international condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is able to adapt and continue its life cycle . Glossary : Drought TolerantVery few industrial plant , except for those naturally found in desert situations , can tolerate waterless soils , but there are plants that seem to be moredrought tolerantthan others . Plants that are drought tolerant still necessitate wet , so do n’t think that they can go for extended time period without any H2O . Drought broad plants are often late settle , have waxy or boneheaded leaves that economise piss , or leaf structures that airless to minimize transpiration . All flora in droughty situations benefit from an occasional cryptical watering and a 2 - 3 inch dense layer of mulch . Drought resistant plant are the backbone of xeriphytic landscape gardening . Glossary : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth start with a gross fertilizer . gloss : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this plant .
