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Our neighborhood is loaded with Crepe Myrtles - we have one in our front yard. Several of them were afflicted with an aphid infestation last year. Although mine has plenty of leaves, some of the leaves do not appear healthy and it has no flower blooms. My neighbor is a landscape architect and he sprayed it for us, he said it needs to sprayed again in a week. Not certain what type he used. He also recommended Miracle Gro Fertilizer spikes for trees. I'm hoping mine perks up!
Update on my crepe myrtle - it appears very healthy again. Loads of new foliage and it now blooming. It is blooming later than last year but I'm convinced the Miracle Gro spikes (for trees and flowering shrubs) did the trick!
I wanted to get a few crepe myrtles but the people at a couple of nurseries said that all I would end up with is problems with Japanese beetles. They weren't trying to get me to buy something more expensive as we ended up getting something cheaper. What I would like to know is if anyone has had any problems with the beetles? We have so many of the trees in our area and I can't believe they all have problems.
I wanted to get a few crepe myrtles but the people at a couple of nurseries said that all I would end up with is problems with Japanese beetles. They weren't trying to get me to buy something more expensive as we ended up getting something cheaper. What I would like to know is if anyone has had any problems with the beetles? We have so many of the trees in our area and I can't believe they all have problems.
Thanks.
You can dust them with Sevin for Japanese Beetles. I sure wouldn't let Japanese Beetles stop me from having a Crape Myrtle.
I have two Crape Myrtles with no blooms this year, but they have never budded, yet.
The Japanese Beetles were not a factor.
The compensating factor is that my Natchez Crape Myrtle has put on two feet of new growth.
That is great after a couple of bad years since the 2007 Easter freeze that killed the last foot of most limbs.
We bought a Crape Myrtle in June and yeah, we got a ton of Japanese beetles.... we dusted it with Sevin as Mike said, and that solved the problem. Don't buy those Japanese beetle bag/traps though, they just end up attracting more than you had to start with. And the beetles are only out for a month or so anyway.
Mine went in in May.
Now about 4 ft high, small saplings I bought online.
Beetles hit em in June so I sprayed with Spectracide.
Aphids just appeared last week under all the leaves.
I spray again after every rain.
Seems like getting them started is the hard part.
You can dust them with Sevin for Japanese Beetles. I sure wouldn't let Japanese Beetles stop me from having a Crape Myrtle.
I have two Crape Myrtles with no blooms this year, but they have never budded, yet.
The Japanese Beetles were not a factor.
The compensating factor is that my Natchez Crape Myrtle has put on two feet of new growth.
That is great after a couple of bad years since the 2007 Easter freeze that killed the last foot of most limbs.
Mike, any problems with the Natchez Crape Myrtle? Other than the frost issue I mean.
And thanks everyone for your responses. It's just over where I am in Burlington, every shopping center and so, so many home have the trees and they are all beautiful. So I thought if there was a lot of problems with the beetles it would show up on the trees. I guess they don't have any problems or they are all dusted. I think I am still going to look into getting one.
Mike, any problems with the Natchez Crape Myrtle? Other than the frost issue I mean.
And thanks everyone for your responses. It's just over where I am in Burlington, every shopping center and so, so many home have the trees and they are all beautiful. So I thought if there was a lot of problems with the beetles it would show up on the trees. I guess they don't have any problems or they are all dusted. I think I am still going to look into getting one.
Thanks again!
No issues with the Natchez Crape Myrtle at all, in terms of health or vigor. I wish I had more blooms, but all in good time.
I selected it after perusing the Southern Living Gardening Book, and reading up on all the varieties of Crapes. They say it is the longest blooming, fastest growing, and one of the largest Crape Myrtles.
I put it in a spot where I wanted a small shade tree, and the growth spurt this year encourages me to think I did all right. If it gets to 25-30 feet in the next 10 years, it will be absolutely perfect.
It seems happier when I don't fertilize the lawn nearby. Maybe it doesn't like pre-emergent on the roots, or something. I haven't fertilized for a couple of years, and it seems fine with that. Its roots were turning up into the mulch, and that seemed bad. Next fertilization, whenever that is, will be subsurface, drilled deeper to pull the roots down.
What will pull the roots down is deeper watering and only about once a week during the summer once it is established. We are coming up on the best time to plant anything---fall. Most folks think spring is the best cause we aLL have been inside and are so grateful for spring weather. Then we rush out to buy stuff to plant. But then everything spends the summer in stress and either over or under watered. Plant in fall, get the plant's roots established without having the stress of heat and it will get thru the winter just fine only to reward you with a glorious spring or summer blooming, depending on it's schedule. So make your budget and your plans and get ready for a fun fall of planting for great rewards for the following spring and summer.
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