Crepe Myrtle Help

[AJB63587]

Hello All,

I purchased two Hopi Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica 'Hopi') a couple months ago from a local nursery in Columbus, OH. I followed all planting guidelines as well as watering instructions, however they are struggling. They are planted on the west side of my house, so they are getting morning shade and afternoon sun. Water drainage appears to be decent, but sub soil is mostly clay. I have received mixed opinions, one which was overwatering and the other was underwatering. I follow a regular watering schedule and use a moisture meter. I don't think the issue is underwatering, but I could be wrong.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Seachaser]

I rarely water my crepe Myrtle’s and they do fine. Looks like over fertilized.

 

[AJB63587]

Thanks for the reply, Seachaser. I'll start by cutting back on watering.

 

[Bullseye T&L]

Can you post up all the things you have done. Fertilizer, soil ammendments, which meter, etc.

They looked scorched, which is typically underwatering, over fertilizing, or both. 2 months is not a lot of times for roots to establish with the heat we've had. And the clay doesnt help.

 

[AJB63587]

Hey, Bullseye T&L. Thanks for replying.

Fertilizer: I used about 2 tablespoons of Scotts Evergreen Flowering Tree & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food (11-7-7) when backfilling the hole which was roughly 2.5 ft in diameter.

Soil amendments: My soil isn't great, which is why I added the fert. Backfilled the holes with compost and topped with wood mulch.

Moisture Meter: 26cm XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon.

That's basically it. As mentioned previously, I've been diligent with watering, but I do agree that they look scorched. I don't want to shock them more than they already are, but I'm considering digging them up to make sure that drainage isn't the issue. Would you advise against that?

 

[Bullseye T&L]

I think you're okay on the amount of fertilizer vs the diameter of distribution. Scotts says 1.5 tbsp for that diam, you did 2, not a huge deal. However, I always caution against fertilizer on new plantings just due to the possibility of fertilizer burn on new root systems. I always recommend an initial dose of root stimulator, but that's it, at least without a soil test. Had you sprinkled the fert on top of ground where it could distribute more before reaching roots, I would feel better about it. But mixing into soil, possible you have a little fert burn, especially if it didn't get mix in and distributed really well. There may be some areas of high concentration down there. Other than that, I say keep soil moist, not wet, and let the roots do their thing. If you get some scorch this year, don't fret too much. The leaves will shed, the roots will develop, and next year she will likely be fine.

 

[AJB63587]

Thank you very much! Really appreciate the feedback!

 

[Del_]

A little afternoon shade would be helpful.

Even lawn chairs would help shade.

Late afternoon sun can be the harshest as daytime temperatures peak.

 

[Okie]

They are usually tough plants.
I have some in clay soil that are grown.

When you first plant most anything in clay type soils you need to use lots of good non-clay dirt until any new plant can take on good roots.
If mostly clay only they may even die.

Ours frozen completely out and a deep freeze of 10-15F and in clay soil and was all dead above ground, all dead stalks 15 feet high year before last. Looked like goners. I cut the dead stalks and they are now about 5 ft tall coming back from the roots.

 

[RCamo]

Hello All,

I purchased two Hopi Crepe Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica 'Hopi') a couple months ago from a local nursery in Columbus, OH. I followed all planting guidelines as well as watering instructions, however they are struggling. They are planted on the west side of my house, so they are getting morning shade and afternoon sun. Water drainage appears to be decent, but sub soil is mostly clay. I have received mixed opinions, one which was overwatering and the other was underwatering. I follow a regular watering schedule and use a moisture meter. I don't think the issue is underwatering, but I could be wrong.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

View attachment 1190999View attachment 1191000View attachment 1191001

If your Crepe Myrtles get a lot of afternoon sun and heat, they will just about take all the water you can give them short of having standing non-draining water. You have to be a little careful here though, because if as you say it's a lot of clay then the holes you planted them in could become a 'bowl' of water if not draining. When you planted them what size were the holes and did you add good topsoil to mix with the native clay? A rule of thumb is the hole size should be about 1 1/2 times the size of diameter of the rootball and the plant should be no deeper than the pots they came out of - not planted too deep! Also Crepe Myrtles should really be planted during their dormant period, end of winter/start of spring. When planted late, they WILL struggle their 1st year. As for fertilizer, the absolute best we have found hands down is using Osmocote 18-6-12 incorporated into the mix when planting. You can top dress with a bit of soil over it, it is strictly temperature based time release and will not hurt the plants as long as you apply at the rates recommended by the manufacturer.