New Crape Myrtles Need Help!

Planted 4 CM's early spring, and they are having a terrible time getting established. They are blooming profusely, so I know they're alive, but the foliage looks terrible--pale green with crispy leaf tips. They are putting out new leaves, but the new ones fry also. Three are in full sun, one is in partial shade. The one in partial shade looks a little better than his brothers. They look as if they need water, but I have been faithful to keep them watered. I have given them a couple doses of Miracle Grow and also a couple alfalfa tea parties, all spaced 2-3 weeks apart.

It gets very hot here--high 90's +, and we have had lots of high winds since they were planted. I do let them dry out a bit between waterings--think I should keep them wet? Any advice is welcome.

Pen

My guess is that as new transplnats they're simply getting too hot and dry. If it isn't too hideous to consider, you might try creating a little shade tent for each of them, with some 50% shade cloth and tall stakes. Use a soaker hose to water frequently - twice a week unless you get rain. Mulch around them if you haven't already - it'll help keep the roots cool and moist.

I'd also hold off on any more fertilizer for the rest of the summer; tender new foliage is likely to burn in hot sun and nonstop winds, so I'd let it slow down the topgrowth for now.

Pinch off the dying leaves - no sense in making the plant put any additional energy into (or transpiring through) them.

Terry, thanks for the suggestions. They're a bit tall for making a tent. Wish I could give them a wind break, but they are in the wide open. Yes, I will hold off on the fertilizer. Think I should continue giving them the alfie tea? My thinking is that their roots aren't sufficiently established to uptake all the water they are provided, and the tea might make it easier for them by delivering more nutrients in less water. ??

If I took off all the bad leaves they would be bare, but I have been removing the worst of them--some each day. I just can't believe all the blooms in spite of the foliar stress. They are lightly mulched, but I will take your suggestion and add more. What do you think about pruning them all back a bit? I know I will loose blooms, but if that will help them survive I'll just have to do it.

I've been watering every other day but maybe not deep enough. I'll start giving them a longer soak. What do you think about water spraying the leaves in the late afternoon?

Another very windy day today. Poor babies!

Pen

Well, if you drove stakes around all four corners, you could wrap some shade cloth horizontally around the perimeter and give the lower parts a windbreak (and shade around the root zone)... You might lose some of your top growth, but it might help save the lower areas of the trunk in case dieback occurs.

Someone else might tell you different, but I wouldn't prune. Pruning is going to force new topgrowth, and I think until you get a break from your heat and wind, you want to focus the plant's energy on root growth as much as possible.

If your soil is absolutely terrible (pure sand) you should offer some nutrients. But as long as it's some mix of sand, clay and loam (especially the latter two), I'd stop fertilizing. (It's a little like being on the verge of heatstroke and terribly thirsty, and someone offers you dried jerky and peanut butter - great nutrients, but you really need plain old water until your system stabilizes ;o)

In typical soil, the roots should be able to derive enough nutrients from the soil itself over the short term. One thing you could do is topdress with some mushroom compost or something similar around the roots. As you water, *some* of the nutrients (we're talking tiny amounts, very slowly) will seep down into the soil, providing a steady supply. And the compost can help mulch the area. (I'd still add shredded bark, pinestraw or something as a true mulch...

Terry, thanks for taking the time to address my distressed CM's. I'll try all those things. I gave them a really deep soak yesterday, and if it's not my imagination, they're already looking better. The leaf tips are still brown, but they feel more hydrated and not so crispy.

OK, I get the jerky/peanut butter thing. Vivid analogy!

Thanks again,
Pen