Should I cover my crepe myrtle in the winter?

It is advisable to wrap young (1 year or less) and small Crepe Myrtle trees. Wrap burlap around the branches and then add an insulating filler such as leaves or straw to provide additional protection. Use bush jackets for dwarf plants. Bush jackets are reusable insulating covers that cover the plant.

How do you prepare a crepe myrtle for winter?

Preparing Your Crape Myrtle for Winter

1. We recommend feeding your plant with a fertilizer, like Espoma Holly-tone.
2. Make sure there is 2 – 3″ of mulch over the root system.
3. Be observant.
4. If your Crape Myrtle has a number of spent blossoms, you can remove these blossoms after the Crape Myrtle has dropped its leaves.

Do crepe myrtles tolerate frost?

Crepe myrtles are frost tolerant but in areas with very hard frosts plant in a sheltered position. Young plants may need some protection until they develop hardened wood and some height about them. They can withstand hot dry summers but will still appreciate some summer watering.

What temp kills crepe myrtle?

While all crape myrtles are cold hardy to USDA Zone 7a, meaning they will tolerate low winter temperatures to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, there are now many varieties that are cold hardy as far north as USDA Zone 6a, which has low temperatures to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.

What do you do with crepe myrtles in the winter?

Hammer three stakes around the crape myrtle and wrap the burlap around those. Some people then stuff the little “burlap tent” with leaves for extra warmth over winter. Plastic is a bad idea. For starters, the branches don’t need light when they’re dormant and bare over winter.

Do crepe myrtles turn brown in winter?

The crepe myrtle in winter will have no leaves. They are deciduous shrubs, so their leaves change color and eventually die and fall off in autumn.

Will crepe myrtle come back after a freeze?

Freeze-damaged trees can take some time to come back, but Crape Myrtles can be quite resilient. Other varieties are generally more winter hardy, and will require monitoring and pruning of dead twigs/branches when they leaf out.

Is a crepe myrtle a bush?

Crapemyrtle (Crape Myrtle)Lagerstroemia indica. The common crapemyrtle is a deciduous, small to medium sized shrub or small tree with a variable, moderately dense habit, often multi-stemmed form.

Can crepe myrtle grow in pots?

Crape Myrtle trees grow well in pots or planter boxes and they will live for many years in a large pot. Make sure the container you choose has drainage holes, this is vital. Make sure your container is large enough for there to be soil beneath and around the root-ball.

What kills crepe myrtle?

Triclopyr. Triclopyr-based herbicides cause supressed or abnormal growth that disrupts and eventually kills the crape myrtle. The herbicide may be applied to the foliage, the roots, or both. As with other broadleaf herbicides, crape myrtle trees absorb the poison and circulate it, causing the tree to die.

Will crepe myrtle grow back after freeze?

What is the best fertilizer for crape myrtles?

Crape myrtles require large amounts of nitrogen to foster growth and produce the greatest number of flowers. Choose a high-nitrogen, all-purpose lawn and garden fertilizer such as an 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 solution. A 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 solution is also acceptable if applied at a lesser rate.

Do crape myrtles lose their leaves in the winter?

Crape myrtles go dormant during every winter. During the dormant stage crapes will lose all their leaves and look like a dead tree. Don’t worry, just like a bear sleeps for the winter, your crape myrtles may still still be sleeping .

How do I Help my crepe myrtle?

How to Properly Fertilize Your Crape Myrtles Choose Your Fertilizer We at The Crape Myrtle Company like to keep things simple. The less complicated, the better! Fertilize in Spring Begin fertilizing in Spring with the fertilizer of your choice (liquid, slow release or granules), when the first leaves start to appear. When to Discontinue Fertilization and Regular Watering

Should crape myrtles be pruned?

Crape Myrtles should be pruned in the winter months when they are dormant. Pruning is done in winter when the plant is dormant, between the months of December and February.