Can i grow crepe myrtle from cuttings

Insert them one-half their length into the soil. Mulch with 2 to 3 inches of pine straw, leaf mold or pine bark to conserve moisture.

Keep them moist with regular misting. The young rooted plants can be transplanted to their permanent location during the fall and winter. Several diseases occur on crape myrtle including powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, root rot and sooty mold.

Powdery mildew is the most widespread and serious disease in Georgia. Powdery mildew typically develops in late spring and fall and is associated with warm day and cool night temperatures and high humidity. Leaves, young shoots and flowers are heavily coated with a powdery, white mold that can distort new growth. Infected flower buds may not open, and severely infected leaves and buds often drop early.

The other most damaging disease is a leaf spot caused by the fungus Cercospora lythracearum. Spots develop in mid-summer through fall during wet, humid weather. Large, dark brown spots develop on lower leaves and progress upward through the plant. Infected leaves turn yellow around the spots and drop prematurely.

Sometimes even one spot will cause a leaf to drop on susceptible cultivars and can cause significant defoliation prior to frost. Powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot can be controlled by applying fungicides when the diseases are first noticed. Consult the Georgia Pest Control Handbook for current fungicide recommendations. The best approach to prevent diseases is to plant disease resistant crape myrtle cultivars. A number of new crape myrtle cultivars from the U. National Arboretum and other nurserymen are resistant to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

See Table 1 They are ideal for gardeners wanting low-maintenance landscapes. Sooty mold is an unsightly superficial, dark brown or black coating on leaves and stems that can be removed by rubbing.

It is the result of a fungus growing on honeydew excretions made by insects such as aphids, which are the most serious insect pest on crape myrtle. Sooty mold usually causes little direct damage, but it can cut vigor by reducing photosynthesis in the leaves. Using crape myrtle aphid-resistant cultivars and insecticide sprays can reduce sooty mold.

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Table 1. Partial list of popular crape myrtle cultivars by height. Indicates the cultivar has shown resistance to Cercospora leaf spot in field trials. Place the pot in a greenhouse or a location with plenty of sunlight and warmth and keep watered. Cuttings should be planted at a depth of four inches and a minimum of six inches apart. It is key to keep the roots well mulched and misted regularly to ensure success.

One of the most common and perhaps the easiest ways of propagating Crape Myrtles is by cuttings. Both hardwood and softwood cuttings can be used for propagation, however, there is a slight difference in the methods used. Before taking any cuttings, be sure to clean and sterilize your knife or pruners to prevent any disease or infection contaminating your cuttings. Softwood cuttings are best taken in spring or summer, although they can be taken at any time during the year.

Cuttings should be a minimum of six inches in length and contain three to four nodes. It is recommended that the leaves be removed from the cutting with the exception of the last few at the top of the cutting. If using rooting hormone, dip the cutting into the hormone then place the cutting into a small pot filled with potting mix. Place the pot in a sunny location and keep moist. Keeping the cutting from drying out is crucial.

Softwood cuttings take approx. Hardwood cuttings are best taken in late fall. Rooting crape myrtle shoots is simple, but it requires the right timing since they root best from semi-hardwood cuttings that must be gathered in spring and early summer, according to the University of Georgia Extension. Look for cuttings made of the season's new growth, which will have a reddish or pinkish tinge to the stem.

An ideal cutting will be roughly 4 to 6 inches in length with three or four leaf nodes and several sets of leaves at the tip. A cutting with no flowers or buds is best, but you can always remove the flowers to direct the stem's energy toward root production instead of flowering.

Sanitize a pair of pruning shears to use for gathering your clippings or cuttings. Wipe down the blades with rubbing alcohol or disinfectant to kill any bacteria that can cause harm to crape myrtle clippings.

Set them in a clean location while preparing to gather cuttings. Crape myrtle shoots root well under a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions, although it's not possible to root crape myrtle cuttings in water. For most home gardeners, it's best to root crape myrtle cuttings in pots so you can better control the growing conditions.

Prepare the rooting pots before gathering the cuttings. Fill a 6-inch plastic nursery pot with a moistened soil mixture made of equal parts potting soil and coarse sand or perlite. Poke a planting hole in the center of the soil that is half the length of the cutting, for instance, a 6-inch-long cutting needs a 3-inch-deep planting hole. Snip the cutting using your sanitized pruning shears.