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I want to plant a tree in my small front yard and I'm thinking of going with the crape myrtle. I called a nursery and the guy told me they have 3 crape myrtles in stock: a Muskogee, a Centennial Spirit and a Sioux. What's the difference? I know he told me that the Centennial Spirit is a red color right now, but don't they change color throughout the season? Also, I don't want anything that's too big, so I also need to account for the size of the tree.
Once I get the tree, I'm going to take up all of the grass and put down mulch. But after I've taken the grass up, should I put Round Up down to kill any weed roots. Or is it best to dig down as far as possible and try to get all of the weed roots by hand? My guess is that a new tree and flowers wouldn't grow that well after putting chemicals in the soil.
Roundup - Bulldogdad was right, I have something to say. Roundup (glycophospate) has been linked to birth defects. Roundup may runoff into your local waterways where it can kill plant life. If you apply/replant improperly, you can damage your expensive new trees because of the residue in the soil. Weeds killed with roundup will come back, anyway. I humbly suggest the following alternative ------>
Effective method for Killing Weeds and Making a bed for your Trees--->
"Lasagne" gardening or "Layering" method. Used by gardeners around the world, is effective and proven.
0. Mow the grass in the area you want to plant.
1. Outline the area where you want to plant. I use sticks for curvy shapes. Some videos on youtube suggest using a garden hose.
2. Dig a trench around the area. I have used a flathead shovel and also a half-moon landscape edger. A V-shaped trench around the area can deter the surrounding grass from infiltrating the bed.
3. Put down a biodegradable barrier right on top of the grass. I had the best luck with cardboard, but some people use a lot of old newspapers. Overlap the layers and water the cardboard/newspaper with the hose to help aid decomposition.
4. Put down topsoil. Optional, but it raises the level of the area so it looks professional. A layer of at least 2 inches should suffice.
5. Put down at least 3 inches of mulch. I recommend hardwood mulch for crape myrtles. The trees do well everywhere I have seen them, but supposedly they prefer alkaline soil.
6. Wait three or so months so the grass and weeds below die. Earthworms will also begin to eat the cardboard and dead grass and make nutritious soil out of it. It is cool.
7.In Autumn select and plant your trees according to best practices. Unless you're experienced and/or vigilant if you plant trees in the middle of summer...they may die. It's too hot, and in the US deciduous trees do better planted when they're sleepy.
In September/October or so, the beds/islands should be ready for the new plants, and it is a good time to plant trees in zone 6/7. Scoop away the layers of mulch in the middle of your "islands." Dig through the decomposed cardboard and dig your generous planting holes per the instructions. Proceed as normal for planting trees. Replace the topsoil and mulch around the base of the tree. Follow the instructions to water the trees until the ground freezes.
Roundup - Bulldogdad was right, I have something to say. Roundup (glycophospate) has been linked to birth defects. Roundup may runoff into your local waterways where it can kill plant life. If you apply/replant improperly, you can damage your expensive new trees because of the residue in the soil. Weeds killed with roundup will come back, anyway. I humbly suggest the following alternative ------>
Effective method for Killing Weeds and Making a bed for your Trees--->
"Lasagne" gardening or "Layering" method. Used by gardeners around the world, is effective and proven.
0. Mow the grass in the area you want to plant.
1. Outline the area where you want to plant. I use sticks for curvy shapes. Some videos on youtube suggest using a garden hose.
2. Dig a trench around the area. I have used a flathead shovel and also a half-moon landscape edger. A V-shaped trench around the area can deter the surrounding grass from infiltrating the bed.
3. Put down a biodegradable barrier right on top of the grass. I had the best luck with cardboard, but some people use a lot of old newspapers. Overlap the layers and water the cardboard/newspaper with the hose to help aid decomposition.
4. Put down topsoil. Optional, but it raises the level of the area so it looks professional. A layer of at least 2 inches should suffice.
5. Put down at least 3 inches of mulch. I recommend hardwood mulch for crape myrtles. The trees do well everywhere I have seen them, but supposedly they prefer alkaline soil.
6. Wait three or so months so the grass and weeds below die. Earthworms will also begin to eat the cardboard and dead grass and make nutritious soil out of it. It is cool.
7.In Autumn select and plant your trees according to best practices. Unless you're experienced and/or vigilant if you plant trees in the middle of summer...they may die. It's too hot, and in the US deciduous trees do better planted when they're sleepy.
In September/October or so, the beds/islands should be ready for the new plants, and it is a good time to plant trees in zone 6/7. Scoop away the layers of mulch in the middle of your "islands." Dig through the decomposed cardboard and dig your generous planting holes per the instructions. Proceed as normal for planting trees. Replace the topsoil and mulch around the base of the tree. Follow the instructions to water the trees until the ground freezes.
Thanks. I have heard that Fall is the best time to plant trees, but do I have to wait that long? My plan was to take up the grass this weekend and then plop a crape myrtle tree right in there. I just can't dig two or three inches deep in the soil to get all of the grass/weed roots? That's what I did before I put the current grass down.
You can plant trees in the summer. I personally wouldn't do it because I would run myself ragged trying to keep them alive, but my tips are:
1. Dig a hole that is very wide and very deep. Wider and deeper than even recommended. I'm a chick, and honestly I have planted 10 or 15 trees on my property myself, and hurt my back and wrist in the process...so for a million dollar hole and trees with big rootballs, I would hire professionals.
2. Loosen up any clumps or clods in the dirt you took out of the hole. Hopefully you put the dirt in a wheelbarrow or on a tarp. Put some dirt back in the hole, so the tree is at the recommended height.
3. Water in the hole maybe 1/2 a gallon and let it drain out.
4. Plant the tree according to instructions.
5. Water the tree. Make sure the water soaks into and around the tree roots. A little "well" around the tree may help retain water.
6. Mulch around the tree, following best practices for mulching trees.
7. With clean pruning shears, clip off a couple of the thinner branches of the tree...maybe 1/16 of the total. If the leaves still wilt, you can remove a couple more and see if it perks up.
8. Pray.
LOL If the tree survives, the worst part may be the regular deep watering until winter. If you plant in Fall, you only have to water for a couple of months. And unlike Summer, if you miss watering, the tree's not in imminent danger of dying.
Last edited by kinkytoes; 06-28-2011 at 12:55 PM..
Thanks. I have heard that Fall is the best time to plant trees, but do I have to wait that long? My plan was to take up the grass this weekend and then plop a crape myrtle tree right in there. I just can't dig two or three inches deep in the soil to get all of the grass/weed roots? That's what I did before I put the current grass down.
Yes that's also a great idea. I skipped the "lasagne" and removed turf that for a couple of my perennial beds. I did have college students help me because it got very tiring.
The only issue I had with taking up the grass is that the planting bed looks nicer when it's a little "elevated." The other issue is where to put the clods of grass...
You may need to plant the trees a tad bit higher and then backfill with dirt and mulch to get an "attractive" elevated look. Anyway you'll see once you start.
You can plant trees in the summer. I personally wouldn't do it because I would run myself ragged trying to keep them alive, but my tips are:
1. Dig a hole that is very wide and very deep. Wider and deeper than even recommended. I'm a chick, and honestly I have planted 10 or 15 trees on my property myself, and hurt my back and wrist in the process...so for a million dollar hole and trees with big rootballs, I would hire professionals.
2. Loosen up any clumps or clods in the dirt you took out of the hole. Hopefully you put the dirt in a wheelbarrow or on a tarp. Put some dirt back in the hole, so the tree is at the recommended height.
3. Water in the hole maybe 1/2 a gallon and let it drain out.
4. Plant the tree according to instructions.
5. Water the tree. Make sure the water soaks into and around the tree roots. A little "well" around the tree may help retain water.
6. Mulch around the tree, following best practices for mulching trees.
7. With clean pruning shears, clip off a couple of the thinner branches of the tree...maybe 1/16 of the total. If the leaves still wilt, you can remove a couple more and see if it perks up.
8. Pray.
LOL If the tree survives, the worst part may be the regular deep watering until winter. If you plant in Fall, you only have to water for a couple of months. And unlike Summer, if you miss watering, the tree's not in imminent danger of dying.
Thanks. These are very useful tips. I'm impatient so I'll probably try to put the tree in this weekend. Asking me to do otherwise is like asking a six-year old to wait for the New Year to open his Christmas gifts. Would you recommend a watering bag for the summer months?
I have never used a water bag, but the "landscapers" at my office have used them for the past 2 years on...tada crape myrtles. They've replaced the dead trees every year. I don't get a "warm fuzzy" about water bags.
I just use a hose for my trees and let water trickle and soak the roots once a week. In Fall and Spring, I have had good success watering once a week, but if you plant in summer, you may need to deep water maybe every 3-5 days (as needed ie if there's no soaking rain) for a few weeks.
At any rate, whenever you water, you need to soak the entire root ball and the soil around the tree. The goals are to keep the tree alive, and encourage the roots to grow deeply so it can survive by itself. Perhaps that's the issue with the treebags? Based on what I've seen, I wouldn't recommend them.
I want to plant a tree in my small front yard and I'm thinking of going with the crape myrtle. I called a nursery and the guy told me they have 3 crape myrtles in stock: a Muskogee, a Centennial Spirit and a Sioux. What's the difference? I know he told me that the Centennial Spirit is a red color right now, but don't they change color throughout the season? No they stay the same color, unless you mean fading that some of the dark colors have as the flowers finish. Also, I don't want anything that's too big, so I also need to account for the size of the tree. How small is your yard? The trees will all mature quickly but 2 are bigger and one is smaller. Muskogee matures to 20-25 feet tall and 20 wide, Centennial Spirit matures to 20 feet and 15 wide and the smallest Sioux is 10-12 feet high and 6-8 foot wide. I have the last one and it is fully mature in 2 years from planting with pruning!
Once I get the tree, I'm going to take up all of the grass and put down mulch. But after I've taken the grass up, should I put Round Up down to kill any weed roots. Round Up does not work when applied to roots. Or is it best to dig down as far as possible and try to get all of the weed roots by hand? My yard was once pasture land and had some incredibly deep weed roots, I spent weeks digging pulling them out of a small 200 square foot area but it is the least weedy and the Crape Myrtle is doing well there. The landscaper used Roundup two weeks before planting my trees and shrubs and everything has survived and thrived. Roundup needs to be on the green parts of a plant to have an effect and binds with organic materials in soil before becoming inert. My guess is that a new tree and flowers wouldn't grow that well after putting chemicals in the soil.
I would advise STRONGLY that you wait until the fall to plant unless you want to spend at least every other day watering it (soaking it not just hitting it with water for a few minutes) and still risking it being dead by winter. Do not volcano mulch either, simple wood bark mulch in a layer 2-3 inches thick and 2 inches away from the stems at the base. Once the tree is established in fall and overwinters it will require very little care next year.
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Roundup (glycophospate) has been linked to birth defects. Roundup may runoff into your local waterways where it can kill plant life. If you apply/replant improperly, you can damage your expensive new trees because of the residue in the soil. Weeds killed with roundup will come back, anyway. I humbly suggest the following alternative ------>
They've replaced the dead trees every year. I don't get a "warm fuzzy" about water bags. 
