Lagerstroemia ‘Pokomoke’

[Jzack605]

Here’s a small dwarf Crape Myrtle I got on sale last fall; cultivar ‘Pokomoke’. Attractive small leaves and flowers. I did a repot today and put it in a grow box I had. I did take off a decent amount of roots, the little guy was pot bound in a 3g nursery pot. I’m pretty content with the base, and the nebari is decent and should get better. Thinking a windswept, broom style. Still a little clustered, some straight growth and some deadwood typical of a crape Myrtle in z7 that need to be addressed.

 

[VAFisher]

If you're happy with the trunk I would plant it in something much more shallow and go ahead and hack back those straight branches. Dont be afraid to get ruthless with branches and roots. They can take it in my experience.

 

[Jzack605]

Hmmm....

Was considering cutting the branches back, I guess they are tough enough plants for doing significant work on the canopy and roots at the same time. I don't have an issue with letting it rebound a bit as far as roots and put it in a shallower pot next year.

 

[VAFisher]

Nothing wrong with a safe approach. Just sharing what I've done to mine.

 

[Jzack605]

So if most of these are pretty straight, would a really hard cutback be too much after a re pot with the heavy root work done?

 

[VAFisher]

I would say it can handle it. Doesn't look like you got too aggressive with the roots. As an example of one I did, take a look at this thread. I did this in May.

Mame contest end of part two

Mame contest part two: prepare the tree and get it in the mame sized pot. 1 year and 3 months (20-08-2017 -- 20-11-2018) ---------------------------- This thread is to post updates on all contending mame tree's to prove that the tree's realy are in their mame pots that fit withiin the pot...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Jzack605]

I would say it can handle it. Doesn't look like you got too aggressive with the roots. As an example of one I did, take a look at this thread. I did this in May.

Mame contest end of part two

Mame contest part two: prepare the tree and get it in the mame sized pot. 1 year and 3 months (20-08-2017 -- 20-11-2018) ---------------------------- This thread is to post updates on all contending mame tree's to prove that the tree's realy are in their mame pots that fit withiin the pot...

www.bonsainut.com

Oh wow, and you did it when it was out of dormancy? Definitely looks like it can handle it. Would you recommend a hard cut back right now while still dormant or wait?

 

[VAFisher]

Oh wow, and you did it when it was out of dormancy? Definitely looks like it can handle it. Would you recommend a hard cut back right now while still dormant or wait?

I've been experimenting with summer work on these for a couple years and so far they have responded well. I think you could do the cutback pretty much whenever though.

 

[Jzack605]

Here’s my little hack job, actually kind of looks like a pollarded tree

 

[cbroad]

looks like a pollarded tree

Haha that's what we call Crape Murder around here! Not necessarily your tree but pollarded crapes in general.

 

[cbroad]

@VAFisher
And I'm hoping for the best this year with the pocomoke I got from you!

 

[VAFisher]

Double post

 

[VAFisher]

@VAFisher
And I'm hoping for the best this year with the pocomoke I got from you!

Only one of my crapes is moving so far this Spring. Is yours showing signs of life?

 

[Jzack605]

They don’t usually show much sign until may at earliest around here.

 

[cbroad]

Is yours showing signs of life

slight bud swell, just enough to show me they're alive!

They don’t usually show much sign until may at earliest around here.

about the same here, I've had container crapes not wake until late June before. The way things are moving here, it could be less than a month before they leaf out.

 

[Jzack605]

Yeah I’ve had landscape plants at clients not show any signs until June as well. such a weird tree up north.