sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Great news!
Sorce
Sorce
Crape Myrtle Crazy
- Thread starter VAFisher
- Start date
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Some fun looking trees!
Small too, so you don't throw out your f'n back!
Sweet....
Small too, so you don't throw out your f'n back!
Sweet....
VAFisher
Masterpiece
As promised, here is a pic of the clump as it stands today. I'm letting those 2 suckers at the front grow to see if I can fill in the empty space a little.
And here is an update on 2 of my little pokomokes. The bark is peeling on both of them.
I also had an awesome surprise this week. This was a tree that I picked up last summer and chopped, root pruned and potted all at once. It looked like this then.
This spring, I was shuffling some pots around, so I re-potted this one early - before any buds were even moving. I guess it resented that a little because it never did anything. I was positive it was a goner but I kept watering it just in case. And this week it finally got going. A festivus miracle.
And here is an update on 2 of my little pokomokes. The bark is peeling on both of them.
I also had an awesome surprise this week. This was a tree that I picked up last summer and chopped, root pruned and potted all at once. It looked like this then.
This spring, I was shuffling some pots around, so I re-potted this one early - before any buds were even moving. I guess it resented that a little because it never did anything. I was positive it was a goner but I kept watering it just in case. And this week it finally got going. A festivus miracle.
aml1014
Masterpiece
I repotted one of my pokomokes before buds were moving and it's still sitting g there doing nothing. It's green when I scratch the trunk so it's still alive, just in a bad mood. Hope it leafs out.As promised, here is a pic of the clump as it stands today. I'm letting those 2 suckers at the front grow to see if I can fill in the empty space a little.
And here is an update on 2 of my little pokomokes. The bark is peeling on both of them.
I also had an awesome surprise this week. This was a tree that I picked up last summer and chopped, root pruned and potted all at once. It looked like this then.
This spring, I was shuffling some pots around, so I re-potted this one early - before any buds were even moving. I guess it resented that a little because it never did anything. I was positive it was a goner but I kept watering it just in case. And this week it finally got going. A festivus miracle.
Aaron
Last edited:
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Yeah, they don't seem to mind their roots being worked on in the middle of the summer but don't seem to appreciate being messed with early at all. I hope it wakes up for you.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
I worked on this little tree a little bit last night. I forgot the before photo and the only older pic I could find is this one from last year that I took of a whole bench. I cropped it in and it's a bad pic, but you get the idea of what it looked like - basically a sling shot.
And this is what it looks like now. Still a long way to go but it has a direction now.
And this is what it looks like now. Still a long way to go but it has a direction now.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Won't be long now till I have some flowers on the clump and that tall broom. Can't wait.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Gettin' close.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Updates and some flowers.
These have gotten way outside of their silhouette but I wanted to see the blooms.
I've always thought I would like these 2 combined so I went ahead and did it.
The clump got a new pot and a simplification. Jury is still out on this one. It continually sends up suckers so it won't be hard to add trunks again if I want.
My 2 little ones.
I haven't cut these back hoping to see some blooms. No love yet.
This last one was cut back hard and hopefully on a path. That about does it.
These have gotten way outside of their silhouette but I wanted to see the blooms.
I've always thought I would like these 2 combined so I went ahead and did it.
The clump got a new pot and a simplification. Jury is still out on this one. It continually sends up suckers so it won't be hard to add trunks again if I want.
My 2 little ones.
I haven't cut these back hoping to see some blooms. No love yet.
This last one was cut back hard and hopefully on a path. That about does it.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Nice color!
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Just some more flowers:
Quick question about the myrtles.... do you leave the fruit after flowing, or are you cutting all of that old growth away in the fall?
My two trees have were let loose this summer and they're looking shabby as the growing season has come to an end. Just wondering if I should prune them hard this fall (and get rid of fruit, too), or leave them until next spring and prune hard at that time.
Thanks,
Noah
My two trees have were let loose this summer and they're looking shabby as the growing season has come to an end. Just wondering if I should prune them hard this fall (and get rid of fruit, too), or leave them until next spring and prune hard at that time.
Thanks,
Noah
vaibatron
Shohin
Noah,
It depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are still in the trunk development stage/new leader stage, pruning will be of little to no use. However if you are looking to develop branch structure, fall is The perfect time to prune and wire. Keep in mind that crape myrtle are prone to twig dieback so depending on your climate (not familiar with OK) and development stage, leaving flowers/fruit alone could, as well, prove fruitless.
Naturally, for health and asthetic reasons, most of us want to keep tidy trees, so ridding a tree of expended growth is way to make even a developing tree look nicer on the bench. I do know, at least for my climate I can get one more flush of growth after flowering, so I cut before the flowers turn. Light pruning/ wiring in the fall, heavy pruning (using cut paste!) in the spring.
Hope this helps!
It depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you are still in the trunk development stage/new leader stage, pruning will be of little to no use. However if you are looking to develop branch structure, fall is The perfect time to prune and wire. Keep in mind that crape myrtle are prone to twig dieback so depending on your climate (not familiar with OK) and development stage, leaving flowers/fruit alone could, as well, prove fruitless.
Naturally, for health and asthetic reasons, most of us want to keep tidy trees, so ridding a tree of expended growth is way to make even a developing tree look nicer on the bench. I do know, at least for my climate I can get one more flush of growth after flowering, so I cut before the flowers turn. Light pruning/ wiring in the fall, heavy pruning (using cut paste!) in the spring.
Hope this helps!
bonhe
Masterpiece
Hi VAFisher,Just some more flowers:
I love it! It is so beautiful and makes me feel relax!
Thanks for sharing your CM collection. Very nice.
Bonhe
VAFisher
Masterpiece
I think the answer you got is pretty spot on. One thing I'll add is that the first flush of flower buds tend to be out at the end of long, gangly growth as shown above. I've noticed this year that the tree will frequently put out new flower buds in tight if you prune back hard after the first flower buds form.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Like everything else this year, the crapes woke up a lot earlier than usual and most of mine are well on the way to be leafed out. I thought I would post an update of some of them. First up is the clump. I've never been really satisfied with it - it's been reduced down over the last couple years and been in several different pots. I had an idea last year that I thought would be really cool, so I kept a watch on Chuck Iker's site and found the pot I was looking for. Here's a progression from the beginning to now.
Right after I dug it up.
A couple months later and a couple of the trunks on the left died off.
Trying to bring it in a little tighter.
New pot which I wasn't right at all.
So I tried a shallow tray and further reduced the number of trunks.
In bloom.
And the latest version. Should be cool when it blooms.
Right after I dug it up.
A couple months later and a couple of the trunks on the left died off.
Trying to bring it in a little tighter.
New pot which I wasn't right at all.
So I tried a shallow tray and further reduced the number of trunks.
In bloom.
And the latest version. Should be cool when it blooms.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
This one didn't wake up until June last year. Just a few months earlier this year. It got a new Bokeno pot.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Last year I put these 2 pokomokes together. Not much to update other than that they woke up again this year. I'm using that thick piece of wire to separate the trunks on the smaller tree a little more. (tip from johng)
VAFisher
Masterpiece
And my 2 small guys.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Just plain awesome.... crapes are definitely one of my favs!
