A Detailed Guide to Planting and Cultivating Crape Myrtle Trees
The crape myrtle is a fairly common flowering ornamental plant, with vivid flower colors and a long blooming period. Many people choose to plant it in their home courtyards. In addition, crape myrtle is also very beneficial for air purification. Below, let us learn about the cultivation methods for crape myrtle trees.
I. Morphological Characteristics
Crape myrtle belongs to the genus Lagerstroemia in the family Lythraceae, and people commonly call it the "ticklish tree"; it is a peculiar species among trees. Crape myrtle is a flowering and leafy tree, also known as the barkless tree, Mantanghong, and the hundred-day red. Because its blooming period is exceptionally long, with flowers blooming continuously from July to October, it is named the hundred-day red. The Song dynasty poet Yang Wanli praised it in verse: "As if enchanted and drunk, lovely and fine; pressed by dew and buffeted by wind, it leans all the more. Who says flowers cannot stay red for a hundred days? The crape myrtle keeps blooming for half a year." Xue Hui of the Ming dynasty also wrote: "The crape myrtle flower lasts the longest, in full brilliant bloom for a hundred days; through summer and past autumn's turn, new flowers keep opening on the branches." Northerners call the crape myrtle the "monkey slip-off," meaning the trunk is so smooth that even monkeys cannot climb it. Its precious quality is that it has no bark.
Things are precious for being rare. Among the thousands of trees and plants in the world, how many are barkless? The trunk of a young crape myrtle grows a surface layer every year and sheds it on its own every year; after the surface layer falls away, the trunk looks fresh and smooth. In an old crape myrtle, the trunk no longer grows a surface layer, and its veins and ridges stand out clearly, smooth and glossy. After the crape myrtle grows up, the outer bark of the trunk falls off, leaving it smooth and barkless. If people gently stroke it, its branches immediately sway and its leaves move, its whole body trembling, and it may even give off a faint "clucking" sound. This is a whole-body reaction of its "ticklishness," which is truly astonishing. The genus Lagerstroemia has 4 species in total, including the red crape myrtle, the silver crape myrtle, and the green crape myrtle. The best is the green crape myrtle with blue petals; it bears a panicle inflorescence at the tip of new branches, reaching 20 cm long, with 6 petals per flower, the petals much wrinkled, resembling a wheel. When the flowers bloom all over the tree, they are as gorgeous as rosy clouds, hence it is also called Mantanghong. The fruit is a capsule, shaped like a soybean, containing many seeds, and ripens in November.
II. Crape Myrtle Cultivation Methods
1. Soil: Crape myrtle is vigorous and easy to cultivate, and is not strict about soil, but it grows best when planted in deep, fertile sandy loam.
2. Fertilizing: Fertilize after leaf fall each winter and before bud break in spring. Applying human manure or sesame paste residue is even better, as it can make the plant grow vigorously the following year, with large and vividly colored flowers.
3. Sunlight: It is light-loving by nature. Insufficient light not only means fewer flowers or no flowers, but may even cause weak growth, with thin branches and small leaves.
4. Watering: Crape myrtle is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging. Each year, before bud break in spring and after leaf fall in autumn, water once with green-up water and once with freeze water. At ordinary times, if it is not too dry, there is no need to water; generally, water 1 to 3 times during the spring drought. In the rainy season, drainage work should be done well to prevent excessive water from rotting the roots. It is not advisable to water in autumn.
5. Pruning: The crape myrtle inflorescence is borne at the tip of the current year's new branches, so when pruning, the one-year-old branches should be heavily cut back and shortened, so that nutrients are concentrated and the new branches grow robustly. Remove the water sprouts, dead branches, drooping branches, diseased and pest-damaged 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 cut off in time, so that the upper part of the main trunk can receive sufficient nutrients and form a good crown.
6. Pests: Common pests of crape myrtle include felt scale, yellow stinging caterpillar, and large bagworm moth, and pesticides should be sprayed to control them.
Crape myrtle is a very good flowering ornamental plant. It can be seen in home courtyards, parks, and roadside green belts, and its effect in beautifying the environment is quite good. Those who like crape myrtle flowers can choose to plant it in the courtyard, or grow it in pots for display. I hope the above knowledge is helpful to you!