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COLD WEATHER GERMINATION
- Put seeds into 40° C water for 24 hours.
- Put seeds into very wet sands or coco pit then it must be able to retain the moisture and to circulate the oxygen for germination. ( Generally, it takes more than 40 days. )
- Move it into the soil after it sprouts.
- Germination temperature: 20-25℃
- Germination time: 40 days
- Growth optimum temperature: 10-25 ℃
- Spacing: 20 * 20cm
- Rose on soil not ask for much, just with some humus soil aggregate
The CRAPE MYRTLE is considered to be the pride of the South, with their gorgeous blooms and lovely shade, a Southern summer without seeing a crepe myrtle tree in bloom is like having a Southerner without a Southern drawl. It just doesn’t happen and wouldn’t be the South without it.
Any gardener who has seen the beauty of crepe myrtles has probably wondered if they can grow one themselves. Unfortunately, only people who live in zone 6 or higher can grow crepe myrtles in the ground. But, for those Northern climate d people, it is possible to grow crepe myrtles in containers.
What to Grow Crepe Myrtles In?
The first thing to keep in mind when you are thinking of planting crepe myrtles in containers is that a full grown tree will need a rather large container.
Even dwarf varieties, such as “New Orleans” or “Pocomoke”, will get to be 2 – 3 feet tall at their mature height so you want to take this into account. Non-dwarf varieties of a crepe myrtle tree can grow to be 10 feet tall or taller.
Requirements for Crepe Myrtle Plants Grown in Containers
When grown in cooler climates, a crepe myrtle tree benefits from full sun and moderate watering. Once established, crepe myrtle plants are drought tolerant, but consistent watering will promote faster growth and better blooms. Your crepe myrtle tree will also need regular fertilizing in order to achieve healthy growth.
Container Crepe Myrtle Care in the Winter
When the weather starts to get cold, you will need to bring your container grown crepe myrtle plants indoors. Store them in a cool, dark place and water them once every 3 – 4 weeks. Do not fertilize them.
Your crepe myrtle tree will look as though it has died, but in fact, it has gone into dormancy, which is perfectly normal and necessary to the growth of the plant. Once the weather is warm again, take your crepe myrtle tree back outside and resume regular watering and fertilizing.
Can not Leave Container Grown Crepe Myrtle Tree Outside in Winter.
If you are planting crepe myrtles in containers, it likely means that your climate is probably too cold in the winter for crepe myrtle plants to survive. What a container allows you to do is bring a crepe myrtle tree in during the winter.
Prepare a planting mix with the sand, soil and vermicompost=>Sprinkle diluted fungicide water (2gm in 1-litre water) after sowing the seeds. Make a hole in the potting mix with your finger=>Insert each seed in a hole as 1/3=>Place the planted pots or flats in a warm, above 60ºF (15.5ºC), sunny place=>too wet is quite dangerous for the seeds to keep the potting soil moist but not too wet until the seeds emerge, which should be in about 21 days=>cover the mixture with poly bag=> after 21 days you can remove the plastic.
CLIMATE:
Crape myrtles can be grown in hardiness zone 6-10, although in zone 6 they’re likely to die back to the ground in winter.
Crape myrtles can be grown in hardiness zone 6-10, although in zone 6 they’re likely to die back to the ground in winter.
WATER:
Crape myrtles like humid climates. Once established, they can tolerate quite a bit of drought.
Crape myrtles like humid climates. Once established, they can tolerate quite a bit of drought.
LIGHT:
Crape myrtles flower best in full sun (at least six hours per day).
Crape myrtles flower best in full sun (at least six hours per day).
SOIL:
Crape myrtles do well in most any kind of soil, as long as it’s well-drained. The ideal soil pH is neutral to slightly acidic.
Crape myrtles do well in most any kind of soil, as long as it’s well-drained. The ideal soil pH is neutral to slightly acidic.
FERTILIZER:
Crape myrtles benefit from annual feeding with a general-purpose or high-nitrogen fertilizer, in early spring as soon as you see leaves. If you want to fertilize twice, do the second application about two months later. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid sucker growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects. Take advantage of the toughness of these plants – too much fertilization can actually result in excessive leaf growth and fewer blooms!
Crape myrtles benefit from annual feeding with a general-purpose or high-nitrogen fertilizer, in early spring as soon as you see leaves. If you want to fertilize twice, do the second application about two months later. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid sucker growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects. Take advantage of the toughness of these plants – too much fertilization can actually result in excessive leaf growth and fewer blooms!
IMPORTANT NOTICE
It is important to remember that while planting crepe myrtles in containers allow them to survive the winter indoors, it does not mean that they are better able to survive the cold. As a matter of fact, being in a container outdoors raised their vulnerability to the cold. The container is not as well insulated as the ground. Just a few nights of freezing weather can kill a container grown crepe myrtle.
