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Can crepe myrtles be pruned in summer?

By James Holden

Can crepe myrtles be pruned in summer?

Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Floridata notes that some cultivars continue to bloom for as long as 120 days, making this tree or large shrub a popular landscape plant.

Can you use Epsom salt on crepe myrtles?

Crape Myrtles bloom with a dose of Epsom Salts. Two: In order for your Crape Myrtle to bloom you may want to try this cocktail (for the Crape Myrtles, not you) Mixone tablespoon of Epsom Salts into one gallon of water and pour around the roots of the plant. Repeat for the others, using one gallon per plant.

What to do about black mold on crape myrtles?

They go hand in hand, but black sooty mold is really just a cosmetic issue. Treatment for the black sooty mold is not recommended and once the scale is terminated then the black sooty mold will disappear as well. To kill the scale we recommend Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed Concentrate.

What kind of bug eats crape myrtle leaves?

Crape myrtle aphids feed only on crape myrtle trees. Japanese beetle ( Popillia japonica) is also a pest and feeds on both leaves and flowers.

Why are the leaves on my crape myrtle turning gray?

Powdery Mildew: Powdery mildew is one of the most common problems of crape myrtle, and it is caused by the fungus Erysiphe lagerstroemia. Patches of white to grayish powdery growth occur on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. Heavily infected flowers may fail to open. Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted.

Can a crape myrtle be planted in North Texas?

The white shells often take a while to fall off but you can gently brush them off to make the tree cosmetically more attractive. Crape myrtles are still a tree that we highly recommend for North Texas as they are adaptable to a wide range of soil types, heat tolerant, and drought tolerant.

What to do if your crepe myrtle has black mold?

Application of dormant oil can safely be repeated while the tree is still dormant. If your crepe myrtle is affected by white scale, it may develop black sooty mold (In fact, the sooty, black substance may be the first sign of white scale on crepe myrtles.).

What to do about white fungus on crape myrtles?

Gently scrub the bark of the trunk and branches with a soft brush and the solution. To prevent the infestation from building up again, use an insecticide like imidacloprid, which is applied as a soil drench. Between late spring and midsummer is the best time for applying soil-systemic pesticides.

When to use soil drench on crepe myrtle?

How to Treat Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale. This treatment works best between May and July; however, it may take several weeks for the substance to make its way throughout the tree. A soil drench will also control aphids, Japanese beetles and other pests.

How long does it take for powdery mildew to grow on crape myrtles?

The wind carries the powdery mildew spores to other plants. Under favorable conditions, infection may occur as few as 3 to 5 days after the spore lands on the crape myrtle. Powdery mildew spores can germinate and infect crape myrtle in the absence of free water on the plant tissue, as long as there is adequate humidity in the air.