My Crepe Myrtle "trees" look like sticks!

My husband, knowing I have been wanting Crepe Myrtles with purple blooms, was so excited to bring home three Catawba "trees"! They are three to four feet tall sticks with leaves growing on them. They have no limbs at all. I don't want to hurt my husbands feelings, he was so proud! I would like for them to eventually be a tree with one trunk. How do I help the small
stick forms develop limbs without ruining them? I don't know what I am doing. Thank you!

Can you post a picture of your Catawbas?

Hi! Thank you for answering my post. I can't post a picture, I don't know how to do that either! Could you still try to give advice?

A picture really would help, but if you can't post one, you can't post one. If you look just above where a leaf is attached to the stem, you should see a very small, pointy "thing" sitting in there. This is called a bud. The buds will grow into limbs. Crape Myrtles grow FAST. My mother in law has one that put on 6 feet of new growth last year. Mine have put on about 2.5 feet of growth already this year. The best advice I can give is to just plant the "trees" and let them grow naturally for this year and maybe next to get the root system well established. Limbs will grow before you know it, and you will soon have plenty to work with.

Anthony

Anthony, I do see the tiny buds you mentioned, if you had not told me I would
never have seen them. They are so very small. If I had found them on my own, I would not have known they were buds. Also, I did not know buds turned into limbs! When I think of "buds", I think of flowers! Okay, I will do as you suggested
and plant them and leave them alone! Well, except to admire them for what they are now! just think, before too long, I will have beautifully shaped trees with
gorgeous purple flowers!

Thank you so much,
Debbie

Some info for you on planting and caring for your Crape Myrtles.


http://www.dannylipford.com/growing-crape-myrtles/

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Instructions/CrapeMyrtleInst.htm

Thank you, I am anxious to read these.

You are very welcome. I hope they are useful to you. Welcome to DG.

Also, don't despair if your new crape myrtles look "dead." I put in 3 new crape myrtles along the edge of my property facing the street last fall, and this spring one of them that had started to "green up" suddenly had all its leaves turn brown and die. The other two, in exactly the same conditions, were doing fine. I had no idea why it had gone all brown, and neither did my treasure of a yard man. Fast forward 3 or 4 weeks. Joe, my treasure of a yard man who helps this arthritic old creature with the "heavy lifting" in the garden, came by and we talked about whether or not to dig up the dead tree and replace it, and we decided to go take a closer look. Lo and behold, there were tons of little green sprouts coming out and now, a week later, the tree looks as healthy as the other 2. We still have no earthly idea why all its leaves turned brown and died, but it's a healthy, happy baby tree now. Color me happy too!

Dear mgpaquin,
Thank you. This is good to know and to watch for. If it happens to my babies,
I will remember what you have said. I am glad you have a happy baby tree and especially glad that you are colored happy!!

Debbie