Step-by-Step Guide on How to Grow Crape Myrtle

• Watering: Crape myrtle is quite drought-resistant, but young trees should be watered like any other tree. Provide irrigation and pruning water sincerely but avoid over-watering as crape myrtles do not require wet soils.
• Pests and Diseases: Crape myrtles are generally pest-free, although occasionally, they are plagued by aphids and powdery mildew. Remove the plant and check for insects. Wash gently with insecticidal soap if insects are found; or if disease is suspected, wash the plant gently with fungicide.
• Fertilizing: At the beginning of spring, crape myrtles must be seasoned with a balanced fertilizer. Do not fertilize excessively, as this promotes leaf growth but hampers flowering.

Crape myrtle plants are mainly cultivated for their blossoms, but you may also gather seeds from the pod, which develops from the withering petals. The seeds are collected when they mature in late fall, when the pod dries up and splits open. The seeds should be left in a cool and dry place for planting in the subsequent spring.

• Low Maintenance: Unlike other plants, crape myrtle requires little attention once it is planted.
• Year-Round Beauty: These trees offer vibrant summer blooms, striking autumn colors, and eye-catching bark in the winter months.
• Wildlife Attraction: Crape myrtle are also beneficial for your garden because they are insect pests and attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Crape myrtle trees prove to be a very worthwhile endeavor because these trees bloom all year and have fantastic bark. Whether you are planting crape myrtle for flowering, shade or decorative bark, upon completing the procedures on how to plant crape myrtle, you will be assured of getting a colorful garden.

If you take time to understand the specifics behind growing a crape myrtle and how to care for them properly, you reap significant benefits from these beautiful trees for several years.