Crepe Myrtle - from cutting to ground

I have about 400 crepe myrtle cuttings that I rooted in June and July, in plug trays. Today most of them are have about 6 inches of new growth and lots of good roots.

My question: When should I put them out into the field to grow? Should I hold them in plug trays until spring, or should I put them in the ground now (or a month before frost)?

What do you do with your deciduous shrubs (and, specifically, crepe myrtles) that you propagate by softwood cuttings?

I put a good healthy guy out into the field a few days ago, in full sun, but despite even watering, he is still wilting quite a bit. This makes me believe that he was still a bit young to be introduced to the harsh outdoors.

Dave

Dave, I have never had that many to winter over but we always put ours in the next size up pots and overwinter them in those in a protected area in the yard. We try to do this about a month before frost. We dig a trench and set all of the young plants in it and cover them back up to the top of the pots with dirt. This is just our own method but we have never lost a perennial or a shrub or tree that way. Mainly the roots are protected as well as the young plants.

I have used this method too Elena and very satisfactorily. Dave I think your plant was too young for the 'great outdoors' and probably received too much sun. Do you have an unheated shed or something? Failing that follow Elena's method - it's tried and tested :-)

I have a heated greenhouse, as well as plenty of unheated outbuildings. Additionally, I have lots of glass coldframes.

Ellen's idea is sounding good to me so far, but that would mean that I would have to transplant them from plug trays to 4" perennial containers (or bigger).

I'm still interested in hearing other ideas.

Dave

Dave - that's what gardeners have to do - it's called repotting....LOL!! Last year, you may recall me mentioning it, I overwintered 4" pots in a frost-free brick shed with two small windows and they came through with flying colours.

Louisa,

Yes, definitely, but I was looking for a more economical way to handle 400 plants.

Next year, I want to up the number to about 10,000, as I plan to supply the entire East Tennessee area with crepe myrtles. :-) I try to work smarter, not harder, wherever possible.

Dave

Dave - just a thought - Fall is around the corner and the plants will stop growing and so should not outgrow their allotted space in the pot. I would keep an eye on them and if they don't need repotting then you might get away with storing them in the greenhouse. I would hate to see you flogging yourself to death...lol!! Other than that, we could all come and help you with the repotting :-)

Hey Dave,
I want to know how you took the cuttings and when, how long to root, procedure,etc. Will they bloom the true color as mother plant ? Sounds like you really did well. I've never tried to root them but am going to after I hear from you. I never even tried to plant the seeds like several of the others have talked about on various forums . I have a bunch of hugh speciman crepe mytle trees and shrubs. I may get excited and try and provide La with theirs. LOL Thanks

A short update on my crepe myrtles. The cutting I mentioned in my first post in this thread was transplanted to the garden on August 20th. He quickly died completely, but yesterday I saw a new green bud coming up at the first node of the dead branch.

This means he lived, but just lost his leaves. That's fine with me.

The summary for me: Transplanting a 2 month old C.M. into the garden works just fine, if you are patient and don't freak out when you see him "die". He will come back, and will be adjusted to the ground and sunshine. I'm happy.

daisy: Propagation of Crepe Myrtles is easy. I'll write a propagation HOWTO and post it to the Crepe Myrtle entry in the plants database.

Dave

daisy,

I wrote the piece you're looking for, and you can see it here:

http://davesgarden.com/plants/go/1.html

scroll down to the "Alternative Propogation Methods" section and just follow those directions. If you have any questions, just ask.

Dave

Dave, If you transplant them into the ground you are just going to have to dig them up later. The roots will have really spread out by that time and will be disturbed. Have you considered just planting them into the size pots you plan to use for selling them rather than going through the planting in the ground, digging them back up, and having to bag or pot them again? You could probably get away with piling hay all around the pots during the winter or putting them in the buildings that you mentioned.
Only professional nursery people or state agriculture depts. are going to have the tested solutions for you I would assume.

Dear Dave,
I just wanted to thank you for the super instructions on the propagation of a crepe myrtle. It makes me want to put on my rain coat and run outside(it's raining here) and check out all my crepe myrtles for lateral branches. I'm going to really give this a try. One thing I've noticed is that the seed planting business must be fairly easy as I often see baby crepe myrtles in some yards that have the crepe myrtle planted in flower beds where there is no lawn to compete with when the seed falls out. It will fall directly on the soil and come up. I've got my eye on two bushes that are on property that was purchased by the highway dept for a roadway . I'm going to get permission to dig thim up this fall. How many years does it take the crepe to get to bloom size from propagation either seed or cutting ? Again thanks for the info. I just love this site so much and thank you for providing it. Lazy Daisy

My pleasure, Daisy.

From what I've seen (and your results may vary), it appears that 1 year old trees will flower, but just barely. This means a tree that was propagated the previous summer, by seed or cutting.

The 2 year old maidens will certainly bloom, but they will be only 18" tall (or so).

The 3 year olds will be a good 4 or 5 feet tall and produce nice flowers.

The 4th year the guy will approach 7 feet or so, and have a very nice canapy of blooms.

That's just my observations and experience. Your mileage may vary.

Dave

I dug up two suckers from the tree I left behind last year and both of them have blooms and are about 4 feet wide and high. Excellent propagation technique Dave - thanks for your advice. So I can see you are already a 'nurseryman' - good business! Good luck :-)

Hi Dave,
What a life saver you are! I just rec'd some cutting of Crepe Myrtle... boy oh was I doing it wrong!!

Thanks!

~Dusty~

Thanks, Louisa. I'm a "trial and error" and "self taught" man. I play around until I find the technique that works best for me, and I run with it. I end up making lots of mistakes while learning, but I factor those mistakes into my plans. :)

Dave

I just cut off a piece of Crepe Myrtle, wet it and stick it in rooting compound then stick it in a pot of potting soil.

They grow fine. I put one out in my sister-in-laws yard last year and it bloomed a little this year. I have more potted up ready to go out. They'll die down with winter but they'll come back next spring.

Hey, Dave,
I was wondering about a variegated crepe myrtle. I'm talking about the flower and not the leaves. Will their seeds produce a variegated flower or will they return to one of the colors of the flower . Same question with a cutting . Please advise as you are so wise. I made a rhyme. LOL
Lazy Daisy

Daisy: It probably won't come true by seed, but if you propagate your tree by cutting, the new plant will be the genetic identical of the parent, thus giving you the variegated blooms on the new specimen.

Dave

Thanks Dave, I am going to get my rooting medium and pruners ready to go. I really am enjoying this site and learning to get around more each day . I just love too many of the forums . It's very addictive isn't it ? I was reading some of your journal about adding the different threads and looked at the dates. It's unbelieveable how the site has grown in just a few years . Great job.
Lazy Daisy

Ok, I need a little clarification. I have nine crepe myrtle trees (mine are definately trees) and I want more in other areas of the yard.

I plan to propagate by soft wood cutting, just as you have talked about here (awesome information, by the way) and place the cuttings in small pots. Over the winter (I am zone 8) can I keep them in a porch (covered screened in porch with plastic over the screened area)? Or, would they be better off if I just planted them, pot and all, in the ground? Or, should I just let them grow roots then just plant them where I want them (without the pot)?

As we're a military family, we could be moving in 2-3 years and I don't have a lot of time for trial and error, unfortunately. I want to make this yard as beautiful as possible while I'm here, though, and folks can enjoy it for years to come.

Thanks so much.