Hi I planted 4 crepe myrtles last fall, tuscarora about 4 ft tall. They were still blooming at time of planting. Just checked them today and there is quite a bit of die back, about 1 foot. Is that typical in zone 7b Greensboro NC?
I have a couple of other varieties of crepe myrtle (catawba) that were planted the previous spring, but they seem to have very little die back after the winter.
I'm wondering if its just that they are somewhat newly planted and the root system is not well established yet. Any thoughts?
Crepe Myrtle question
I wouldn't think that is too uncommon. I have several crepe myrtles and they seem to die back that much every year. Crepe myrtles are very tolerent (perhaps TOO toloerent) of pruning, and they bloom on new growth so you should be able to shape up yours without any problems.
You might want to read the attached for some good directions on crepe myrtle pruning...
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1009.htm
Hope this helps...
lgamb, the odd weather we've all been experiencing since last fall "tricked" alot of plants to send out fresh new foliage much too late in the year. It's very possible that this happened to your Crepe Myrtles and that's why you're seeing quite a bit of dieback. The 'Catawba' was probably better prepared since they had already been in the ground for a year and tougher.
Just prune them back and they should be fine.
Debbie