How do you care for the latest potted crape myrtle?

The crape myrtle is also known as the tickle flower, tickle tree, and purple gold flower, among others. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the genus Lagerstroemia in the family Lythraceae, and has been cultivated in China for several thousand years. It is widely planted as a flowering ornamental tree, was extensively grown in the Chang'an palace gardens during the Tang Dynasty, and in recent centuries has been introduced around the world. Now let us take a look at how to care for a potted crape myrtle!

Growth habits of the crape myrtle

The crape myrtle likes a warm, humid climate, prefers light, tolerates slight shade, and likes fertilizer. It especially favors deep, fertile sandy loam, grows well in places with slight moisture, and also tolerates drought. It dislikes waterlogging and should not be planted in low, damp places with a high water table. It likes warmth and can resist cold, and has strong sprouting ability. It has a fairly strong resistance to pollution and is relatively resistant to sulfur dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and chlorine gas. It is semi-shade tolerant, likes to grow in fertile, moist soil, and can also tolerate drought; it grows well in both calcareous and acidic soil.

Propagation methods for the crape myrtle

1. Grafting propagation: carry this out from late February to early March before the crape myrtle branches sprout. When grafting, choose a robust seedling grown from seed as the rootstock, take a branch of the desired flower color as the scion, and use the cleft grafting method. First make a vertical cut about 5-8 cm deep in the outer part of the top of the rootstock, then take a 5-8 cm scion with 2 or more buds, cut it into a wedge shape, and insert it into the cleft of the rootstock, aligning the cambium layers. Then wrap the entire scion branch with plastic film, leaving the bud tip exposed.

2. Hardwood cuttings: generally carried out from mid-to-late March to early April before the branches sprout. Select robust one-year-old branches, cut them into 15 cm long cuttings, and insert them into a loose, well-drained sandy loam seedbed. The insertion depth should be such that the topmost bud of the cutting is exposed. After insertion, water thoroughly and cover with plastic film to retain moisture and warmth. Once the seedlings grow to 15-20 cm, the film can be removed and replaced with a shade net, watering at the appropriate times. In the same year the branches can grow to about 60-80 cm.

3. Softwood cuttings: carried out in July-August, when new branches grow vigorously and are at their most vital. Choose semi-lignified branches, cut them into 8-10 cm long cuttings, and leave 2-3 leaves at the upper end. The insertion depth is 3-4 cm. After insertion, water thoroughly and set up a shade shed for shading. Generally they root in about 20 days. Remove the film, keep the shade net, and water at the appropriate times. In the same year the branches can grow to about 60-80 cm, with a very good survival rate.

4. Layering propagation: for layering, March to April in spring is better. Choose one- to two-year-old branches, use a sharp knife to score and ring-bark the bark for about 1.5 cm, exposing the xylem, and apply rooting powder solution (diluted according to the instructions) about 3 cm above the scored area. After it dries, sleeve a cylindrical plastic bag over the scored area, fill it with loose garden soil, water it, and tie both ends tightly. Check after one month; if the soil is too dry, add water to keep it moist. After rooting, cut it off and plant it separately.

5. Division propagation: in early March to April or in autumn, dig up the suckering shoots sprouting from the base of the plant together with their roots, trim the roots and branches appropriately, and plant them separately. Small seedlings can be planted bare-rooted, while large seedlings should be planted with a soil ball. During cultivation, prune and shape regularly to maintain a graceful tree form and promote lush flowering branches.

6. Seed propagation: usually in March, sow in wide rows or broadcast on a sandy loam seedbed, cover with a layer of fine charred mud ash just enough to hide the seeds, and cover with grass on top. They sprout and emerge in more than 10 days; remove the grass promptly. When the seedlings have 2 pairs of true leaves, thin them after rain. Weed frequently during the seedling stage, apply light fertilizer 2-3 times in June-July, and irrigate to prevent drought in early summer. By the end of the year the seedlings are about 40-50 cm tall; robust ones may bloom in the same year, and the flowers should be removed promptly. Transplant and grow them on in the following spring equinox.

How do you care for a potted crape myrtle?

1. Soil: the crape myrtle is robust and easy to cultivate, and is not strict about soil. It likes to grow in fertile, moist soil, can also tolerate drought, and grows well in both calcareous and acidic soil. It likes places with slight moisture, and grows best when planted in deep, fertile sandy loam.

2. Watering: the crape myrtle tolerates drought and fears waterlogging. Each year you can water once with green-up water before spring growth starts and once with winter water after leaf fall in autumn. Ordinarily, if it is not too dry, there is no need to water. Generally, water 1-3 times during the spring drought. In the rainy season, do a good job of drainage to prevent root rot from excessive water. Do not water in autumn.

3. Sunlight: potted crape myrtle likes light, and is generally placed in a spot with ample sunlight and good ventilation for growth. In southern regions it can overwinter outdoors in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot in winter, while in northern regions it should be moved indoors. Insufficient light not only means fewer or no flowers, but can even cause weak growth with thin branches and small leaves, so during the growing season the crape myrtle should be placed in a sunny spot outdoors.

4. Temperature: the crape myrtle is not very cold-hardy and is easily damaged by freezing and drying out, and in severe cases can freeze to death, so in winter it should be moved indoors to overwinter, with the room temperature kept above 7°C. When it is below 7°C, methods such as covering with a plastic bag for insulation, raising the temperature with hot water, or adding heat with a stove should be used. Attention should also be paid to ventilation; when the indoor temperature is too high, windows and doors can be opened and water reduced, otherwise its normal dormancy will be affected and root rot may even occur.

5. Fertilizing: the crape myrtle is a fertilizer-loving plant. A lack of fertilizer leads to thin, weak branches and yellowing color, which causes the crape myrtle to grow weakly and produce few or even no flowers, but too much fertilizer causes excessive growth of branches and leaves. You can fertilize each year after leaf fall in winter and before spring growth starts. Applying human waste or sesame paste residue is even better, as it can make the crape myrtle grow vigorously the following year with large, brightly colored flowers.

6. Pruning: the crape myrtle's flower clusters are borne at the tips of the current year's new branches, so when pruning, one-year-old branches should be heavily cut back and shortened to concentrate nutrients and produce robust new branches. Remove vigorous water sprouts, dry and dead branches, drooping branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, slender branches, and inward-growing branches. During the young tree stage, the lateral branches on the lower part of the main trunk should also be removed promptly so that the upper part of the trunk can receive sufficient nutrients and form a good crown.

7. Pests: under conditions of insufficient light and poor ventilation, the crape myrtle is susceptible to damage by scale insects, which can also cause sooty mold. Scale insects can be killed by spraying with 1000 times diluted 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate or by applying 3% carbofuran granules to the soil. During the plum rain season, aphids and mealy aphids often cause damage; they can be killed by spraying with 40% dimethoate diluted to 1500 times or with 1000-1200 times diluted 80% dichlorvos emulsion. Sooty mold can be controlled with lime sulfur mixture.

8. Repotting: a potted crape myrtle needs its potting soil changed once every two to three years. Use a mix of 5 parts loose mountain soil, 3 parts garden soil, and 2 parts fine river sand to make the growing medium. When repotting, bone meal, soybean cake meal, and other organic fertilizers can be used as base fertilizer, mixed into the surface layer of the soil; the fertilizer must not come into direct contact with the roots, so as to avoid burning the roots and affecting the plant's growth.