How vigorously do you go at the roots at repotting? Mine is currently in a 3 gallon nursery pot and I will need to reduce the roots considerably. Can I do it in one go or better to go in stages? OK to bare root? Bare root and reduce canopy in one go? I've grown accustomed to maples and am a little bit in the weeds on this one.
Crape Myrtle Progression
- Thread starter VAFisher
- Start date
VAFisher
Masterpiece
I've been pretty ruthless with them and they have done just fine. This particular tree was dug, chopped, bare rooted and severely root pruned in one go.
And here's dwarf crape that got even more brutal treatment. These 2 pics were about an hour apart, taken in May 2017.
And this is the tree later in 2017.
And this is the tree in 2020 starting to make some progress. Sadly, I killed it that winter. I think the tiny pot just got too dry.
All of that to say that I wouldn't hesitate to go brutal if it was mine. But there's nothing wrong with playing it safe either.
jandslegate
Shohin
That's fantastic. I have a dwarf that will be ready to repot this spring. I did light shaping this season with caution being my priority. Now I feel more at ease as to what I had planned, lol . Out of curiosity, what cultivar is your dwarf? It looks a lot like mine which is a pocomoke. Thing grows like it's on steroids lol.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
It is/ was a pokomoke.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
I skipped repotting this tree in 2024 and I've got long roots growing out of all the drain holes. I think it will get a yearly workover from now on. I'm liking the base on this one.
I love crapes, because, duh flowers but also the exfoliating bark. Yours is fantastic. Very excited about the two I received so generously from @Vin recently. Hopefully the change from Florida to Illinois doesn't shock them too much.
VAFisher
Masterpiece
Thanks! I rarely see flowers on mine - I'm too trigger happy with the scissors I guess. I might let them grow next year just so I can remember what color they are. Haha.
