Crape Myrtle Drooping

10 years ago

I'm hoping someone can give some insight into my Crape Myrtle. It was planted when dormant at the very end of 2013 and has been doing well with all the foliage coming out. It was about 15-20 feet or so when newly planted so a decent size. We recently went away for two days and upon our return the leaves were limp. We are in south Orange County and while gone it had been very warm (around 90). I watered and it perked up some, but has since gone limp again. I don't know if this is weather related or something else. I know Crape can be susceptible to root rot and wilting disease. How can I tell the difference and how should I approach it? Thanks for any suggestions!
Lisa

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Comments (4)

gyr_falcon
10 years ago
Hi Lisa. I live in south OC, too. It wasn't just the amount of heat, it was the tender spring growth of the plants reacting to the high temperatures much earlier in the season than is typical. My Beschorneria wrightii (sorry, I have no idea if it even has a common name) had a 3' flower stalk going; a six inch section of the stalk just shriveled and the buds were no longer supported. A recently planted red trumpet vine seriously wilted. Many of the Icelandic poppys' foliage grayed and they still look stressed.

Your crepe myrtle hasn't had time to get a good root system going yet, especially for such a large sized plant, so I am not surprised it reacted in much the same way. It is rather large to put up a tent for shade until the tree can get more established, but you could try giving it a bit of protection during the hotter days. One option you could try is to make a protective cover out of a light-colored fine tulle because it is light weight, allows air flow and is inexpensive. (Roughly $1.30/yd and widely available from stores that sell fabrics). Baby the tree for a while; don't let it get water stressed. Remember that often the mix that was used to grow the tree in a container dries out quicker than your garden soil, and your tree probably has not expanded its root system much beyond the planted root ball yet.

The last couple of days sure have been more pleasant to be working in the garden, haven't they?

Gyr
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
10 years ago
I agree with the above post. Your tree has not had time to get the roots into your native soil. For this summer you will need to apply water directly on the root ball to keep it hydrated and prevent wilting. Al
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aquilachrysaetos
10 years ago
I lay a hose on a slow drip directly on the rootball of new trees. I'll leave it there for a day. I do this every few days. Crapes take a couple years before they really get going especially if you start with a larger size. I've planted six and the only exception to the rule is if I start with a small one that has not been trained to have a tall skinny trunk.
napapen
10 years ago
Also that is a small root system trying to support a big plant. Cut it back so they are more in balance. I had a large one moved 2 years ago and I cut it back to about 2 ft tall. It has sprouted all over this area and I hardly ever water it.

Penny