No flowers On Your Crape Myrtles? Look at these five common problems: 1. Not Adequate Sunlight Crape myrtles need 6-8 hours of full sun a day. Too much dry heat will cause poor flowering as well as leaf scorch. 2. Too much /Too Little Soil Moisture Crape myrtles are tolerant of moderate drought, dry weather spells […]
Archive for the ‘Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia)’ Category
Growing Crapemyrtles In Containers
Gardeners who live in USDA zones 6 -10 can grow dwarf (shrubby) crapemyrtles either in the ground or in containers. In northern areas of the U.S., a few crape myrtle varieties are tender perennials and grown in containers. They’re overwintered in an unheated garage, shed or pots are dug into the ground. These dwarf varieties […]
Selecting and Pruning Crape Myrtles
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia x indica) are small flowering trees and shrubs. Indigenous to Asia, they have naturalized in our U.S. Deep South. Winter hardiness is a key concern (USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9). Back in the 1970’s thru the 1990’s, plant breeders at the U.S. National Arboretum released 35 winter hardy varieties, named after North American […]
Adding Compact Summer Flowering Shrubs
Yes, to reduce annual garden maintenance some gardeners are switching to space-saving flowering shrubs. Patio gardeners are popping compact shrubs into containers such as spireas, hydrangeas, crape myrtles, chaste tree, weigelias, and buddleias. They’re looking to add color and reduce their maintenance workload. Numerous new [rose] varieties have been created that are relatively resistant to the […]
Four Space-Saving Summer Blooming Shrubs
Miniaturation of many of our garden shrubs has been a trend for over 30 years. A common saying among gardeners has been they no making any more land making anymore or, in this case, garden planting space. In particular, urban gardeners continue to squeeze more color into limited spaces. Here are four flowering shrubs that […]
Tips On Overwintering Outdoor Containers
Containers filled with shrubs and perennials, doesn’t necessarily ensure their winter survival. Without adequate cold protection plants may succumb to cold injury—turning them into dead annuals. To over-winter perennials in containers, you need to know their root and shoot temperature hardiness. Often, plant hardiness ratings is listed on the label. Roots and shoots of several […]