making a crape myrtle into a tree

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shirtmagnet2001 Tulsa, OK Jun 03, 2004

Dear Friends:

While visiting North Carolina, I saw the shrub I always grew up with here in OK known as Crape Myrtle. Always in shades of red, rose, pink, white even....but here in OK grown as a shrub.

In North Carolina, the same species is somehow altered or trained to become a well contained small tree. No towering giant tree here, a smallish well behaved tree.

How is this done? I'm telling you, it's the same plant we have here in Oklahoma. Any ideas? I've got one CM that's become overgrown and shades out the surrounding plants.

Thanks!

Post #895112
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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Jun 09, 2004

We just plant them and let them grow, no special training.

Maybe it's the variety you have that could be causing the difference.

There are some dwarf CM...that could be what you have.

Post #903233
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crimsontsavo Crossville, TN(Zone 7a) Jun 10, 2004

You can trim the bottom leaves off. Make a clean trunk. Eventually you should get a "tree". HTH's!

Post #904015
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Copperbaron Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a) Jun 20, 2004

It all depends on the cultivar and the eventual height. I have ones that are dwarfs(20') depending upon the cultivar. So, you have to know what cultivar you have before trying to grow it as a standard (tree).

Post #917618
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woodspirit1 Lake Toxaway, NC(Zone 7a) Jul 17, 2005

What you do is trim out all the branches at ground level except for about 5 well-spaced ones. Then you trim off all the stems of the remaining branches up 3 or 4 feet. As the plant grows, you can remove more lower branches if you wish a taller standard (trunk). But don't lop off big sections of the 5 branches, as this will stimulate too much leaf growth, giveing a pom-pom effect which is must more subject to invasion by insects and diseases. That kind of pruning is known as "crape murder."

Post #1629742
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