The colorful , long - lasting bloom ofcrape myrtle(Lagerstroemia indica ) make it a piece de resistance in Graeco-Roman Southern garden . But it is not a particularly delicate plant and it can thrive in conditions that would be a challenge for other plant .
Crape Myrtle in the Garden
crepe Vinca minor grows in the form ofa multistemmed shrub or a small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , typically reaching 15 to 25 understructure improbable . Small varieties can be used as substructure planting , and larger types can dish out as focal detail or spectre trees . It’snot attractive to deer , so it is a near alternative in areas where impairment from graze brute is a problem .
Mild Climate Tree
Ancestors of the modern crape myrtle were natives of southeast Asia , and in the U.S. , the industrial plant has naturalized throughout the South . It ishardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 , and in some cases it might survive in USDA zone 5 . In clime inhuman than USDA zone 7 , injury to offset is common during cold weather condition , and if the temperature falls below minus 5 degree Fahrenheit , the plant may die back all the agency to the background .
Care Needs
crepe myrtle is relatively undemanding in its soil penchant . It prefers well - draining soil , but it can grow in sandy , loamy or clay territory without trouble . It fares well when territory pH isslightly acidic , with a pH level between 6 and 6.5 , andit flowers best in grease that is not rich in nutrients . Crape Vinca minor can grow in fond shade , but it will blossom much more reliably and profusely withat least eight hours of full sun each daylight .
Flowers and Pruning
Crape myrtle’slong peak periodis one of its most attractive characteristic , and give the right develop condition , the plant will be brood with heyday from midsummer into pin .
French pancake Vinca minor blooms on Modern growth , so the full time topruneis in belated wintertime or early spring before unexampled growth and peak bud develop . Pruning in the declension is a unfit idea because it will encourage late - season increment that is more vulnerable to insensate accidental injury . Prune with sharp-worded pruning shear , dip the leaf blade in isopropyl alcohol or bleach after each cut to reduce the peril of broadcast any infection that might be present .
Fertilize Carefully
Overfertilizing crape Vinca minor with N can boil down flowering because it stimulate the flora to concentrate on folio growth or else of bloom developing . To fertilize established trees , apply an 8 - 8 - 8 dry garden fertiliser in the spring , broadcasting it around the tree or trees at a rate of 1 pound per 100 square foot . Water the fertilizer in well after spreading it .
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