Knots On Crepe Myrtle How To Fix Crepe Myrtle Knots

How do I get rid of crepe myrtle bark scale?

How do I treat for crape myrtle bark scale? Systemic insecticides work very well to control the bark scale, but the timing is most effective when applied in late winter/early spring. If you are just now spotting the problem, you can clean off the trunk with warm, soapy water to remove the black sooty mold.

Can you cut crepe myrtles below the knot?

Cutting crepe myrtle knots doesn't resolve the problem. If you cut below the knot, a new knot forms in its place. The tree never reverts to its naturally beautiful shape, but through proper pruning of a crepe myrtle tree, you may be able to make the knots less noticeable.

How do I bring my crepe myrtle back to life?

Cut off the dead top and let the shoots grow. They'll grow faster than a congressman's nose. Select 4-5 well-spaced ones to become the new main trunks and cut off the rest. Your crepe myrtle will grow back free-of-charge and may even bloom this summer.

How do you trim an overgrown crepe myrtle?

Restore overgrown crepe myrtles gradually by pruning over a three-year period so the tree continues to bloom. Remove deadwood before the spring starts and cut the top of the tree 2 feet below the height you want the blooms to be that year. Repeating this process can bring a largely overgrown crepe myrtle under control.

What is wrong with my crepe myrtle tree?

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are essentially trouble-free small trees. The most common problems include powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, aphids, Japanese beetles, and sooty mold.

Will Scale kill crape myrtles?

Crapemyrtles suffer aesthetic damage because of the CMBS infestations. These bark scales may not kill the plants, but there may likely be a reduction in plant vigor, number of flowers, and flower cluster size. ... With a scale heavy infestation, there may be premature bark peeling.

What happens if you don't prune crepe myrtles?

Flowers are not the only virtue of this tree. Many varieties have beautiful bark and growth habits that can be enjoyed all year if trees are not heavily pruned. This unsightly, ugly pruning known as crape murder is not recommended. Once it's done, it ruins the tree's graceful natural shape for the rest of its life.

Is crepe myrtle too late to trim April?

While we consider late winter to be the ideal time to prune crape myrtles, now (early spring) is also OK for pruning them. ... Pruning as late as May will likely cause some delay in bloom time, and pruning later than May may delay bloom noticeably but will not harm the tree.

What month do you prune crepe myrtle trees?

When is the best time to trim or cut back crepe myrtles? Early spring before new growth is the best time to prune crape myrtles. Whenever you prune, you cause the tree to generate new growth. New growth that starts now will not have time to harden off before frost.

What kills crepe myrtle?

Triclopyr. Triclopyr-based herbicides cause supressed or abnormal growth that disrupts and eventually kills the crape myrtle. The herbicide may be applied to the foliage, the roots, or both. As with other broadleaf herbicides, crape myrtle trees absorb the poison and circulate it, causing the tree to die.

How do you force a crepe myrtle to bloom?

Crape myrtles need to have new growth each spring in order to produce summer flowers. These flowers come on current-season growth, so late winter/early spring fertilization can aid crape myrtle flowering in the summer. It is not too late to fertilize this year if you haven't yet. – Shade.

Why isn't my crepe myrtle blooming this year?

If there are no flowers on crepe myrtle, it could be that the tree was pruned late in the season, causing the new wood to be mistakenly removed, which causes the buds for the flowers to never really develop. Never prune a crepe myrtle before it blooms. ... Crepe myrtle bloom time is just after the other flowering trees.

How far do you cut back crepe myrtles?

As they grow taller, gradually remove all side branches up to a height of four to five feet. This exposes the smooth, handsome bark. Early each spring, remove weak, spindly growth and all the branches that are growing in toward the center of the plant. Prune large branches back to a crotch.

How do you shape a crepe myrtle tree?

Cut off suckers from the bottom, rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward. Gradually cut off all side branches from the main base as the tree gets taller. Never leave lone or clustered stubs. Be sure to remove unwanted branches before they get too thick (thickness of a pencil).

What if my crepe myrtle is too tall?

This may call for removing branches 2 inches or less in diameter. If heavy-pruning your too-tall crape is an annual ritual, transplant it, if possible, and replace it with a shorter variety. If it's only a bit too tall, prune the top branches back 2 feet to a side branch. But don't leave stubs.

Why would a crepe myrtle die?

Late last summer, rainy weather caused a massive outbreak of Cercospora leaf spot, a fungal disease. It caused the leaves of crape myrtles to turn yellow, orange or red and fall from the tree. Many trees were completely defoliated in late summer.

How do you know when a crepe myrtle is dying?

Using Scratch Test to determine a Dead Crape Myrtle

Scratch the lower base of the stem and if it's green it is still alive. If it's not, it may still be alive, but you'll have to wait awhile before you know for sure. A really cold winter may have of killed the top growth, but the roots may still be alive.

How do you treat powdery mildew on crepe myrtles?

The best way to manage powdery mildew on crapemyrtles is to plant resistant cultivars. You should plant them in full sun and in open areas with good air circulation. If established crapemyrtles are infected, prune them to increase air circulation. Remove the small, twiggy growth below and within the canopy.

What causes black bark on crepe myrtles?

The crape myrtle bark scale, an invasive insect species from Asia, secrete a sugary solution, known as honeydew, that subsequently results in black mold along the branches and tree trunk, Vafaie said. The crape myrtle bark scale has not shown to be fatal for plants.

What causes black mold on crepe myrtles?

What Causes Black Sooty Mold? Black sooty mold is actually an airborne fungi spore that latches on to the sweet sticky honeydew secreted by leaf and bark feeding insects. On Crepe Myrtles and most other plants the culprit here is either sap sucking Aphids or Bark sucking Scale. ... Hence the name: Sooty Mold.

What is the darkest purple crepe myrtle?

Our own Patented Mini Crape Purple Velvet has some of the most strikingly beautiful dark black-purple flowers we have ever seen. By far our most popular variety, this shade of purple-violet is so dark it is almost black.