How do I keep my Crepe Myrtle from dying back in the Winter? I live in WV?

Question

I have two (red and lavender) and they die back and come back in the Spring.

Answer 1

Hi,
I lived in Kentucky for almost 30 years and just recently moved just Southeastern of Central Ohio. I took cuttings of my butterfly, crepe myrtle, lavendar, and Mountain Laurel from the place the I lived at for so long.
My Crepe Myrtle is well over 8 foot tall. During the fall/winter months it always looses most of the leaves from mid way of the bottom to the top. Some of the berries will stay on the Myrtle for the winter. I would just mulch around all my flowers and get ready for the winter. But as soon as the sap goes down in the Myrtle's, the leaves start coming off. You can actually pull a branch back and it is green on the inside, very much alive, just sleeping for the long winter months.
It is at this time you can get your cuttings from the Myrtle and place where ever else you would like.
I hope this helps you.

Answer 2

Crepe Myrtle is a hardy tree from Zone 7 down - I used to live in VA for 5 years so I'm used to seeing them die back and come back to life in the spring. Don't worry, that's natural and it's part of its growth cycle. If you're really worried about roots freezing and the tree actually dying, I'd recommend covering the tree trunks with several layers of burlap to keep it insulated from the cold. Other than that, just leave it alone and it'll know what to do.

Answer 3

Hi:
Crepe Myrtles are deciduous and will die back in any zone in the winter time. You are suppose to prune them in February or in early March in your state. Go ahead now and add a slow six month nitrogen release fertilizer to your two Crepe Myrtles. This is will help them begin a great grow in the spring. You can also fertilize the again in the springtime for great summer blooms.

When you prune in February make sure you always cut at an angle. If you cut straight across you could damage the branches. I recommend to my clients to let the Crepe Myrtles grow in a natural form with thrimming off dead flowers and overgrown branches.

Take a look at my pruning page on my website site to get the proper steps to pruning. I will also direct you to my site map where you can get other tips on many landscape solutions as well as browse through photos of trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs. Good luck to you and have a great day!
Kimberly
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Pruning.html

http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html

Answer 4

they are loss of life from the two a mixture of climate, ask your self, the lack of those roots starting to be out of the bucket, and planting on the incorrect time of three hundred and sixty 5 days. attempt returned to plant some timber with regard to the third week of September, while it continues to be heat yet no longer yet frost. the subsequent time you purchase the timber, look for ones no longer starting to be out of the bucket. Take a 2nd to study the bucket and holes of the bucket - small root fibers popping out of bucket - ok - great roots popping out, no flow. examine the leaves for insect injury (mottled leaf shade is a powerful indicator of insect injury, besides as holes in leaves). Blackened stems are a honest indication of a ailment, and you got here across that dry leaves point out ask your self. examine the timber you have now for brand spanking new leaf develop earlier chucking them. If the Crepe Myrtle has some green, sparkling leaf buds alongside its branches, you could desire to be waiting to maintain it yet. Crepe Myrtles do flow dormant, so if this one has leaf buds occurring, plant it interior the path of September while the climate cools slightly, and while digging that hollow attempt to dig a minimum of four ft down and injury up that no longer ordinary pan in case you could! be beneficial to put in some fertilizer on the backside of the hollow earlier putting interior the tree, and make certain you water it reliable and deep till the wintry climate rains come. there is not any disgrace in attempting to get a huge tree much less costly. in uncomplicated terms disgrace that the nurseryman would provide you a guaranty for he himself reducing off that root!

Answer 5

Creps are borderline hardy there. They don't shut down quickly in the fall thus the late season growth is quite prone to winter damage. You can help the plant by planting it in the warmest spot in your yard, protecting them from cold wind perhaps with a screen and mulching around the ground once cold weather hits. Still you will lose the tips.....but sounds like you might be loosing quite a bit more! They aren't really hardy below zone 6.......so some year you may lose them completely.

Answer 6

This is because they are deciduous! They belong to the Myrtle Family..the same as Eucalyptus spp...and are from India...But are still deciduous. Don't prune as you may ruin their natural shape ie vase..You only have to spray for downy/powdery mildew when humidity rises..very early summer if you have to..also watch out for borer..other than that ..enjoy the mottled bark till it flowers again.

Answer 7

Crepes are deciduous, they loose their leaves in winter. Nothing you can do to change it. Cuttings root in water.