Depending on the variety, crape myrtles produce red, white, pink or lavender-colored flowers. Crape myrtles require large amounts of nitrogen to foster growth and produce the greatest number of flowers.
The University of Georgia Extension suggests choosing an all-purpose garden fertilizer such as an or formulation. A or formulation is also acceptable if applied at a lesser rate. Apply and fertilizers at the rate of 1 pound per square feet. Crape myrtles require fertilization in the early spring, just before the plant buds and flowers begin to emerge. For example, in March, May and then in August to promote growth and blooming. The Crape Myrtles need a lot of moisture when it is young but as it grows it will require less water and fertilization.
Once the crape tree has been established, you can start maintenance mode fertilization. In the maintenance mode of Crepe Myrtle's fertilization, you use or fertilization formula. Reduce the fertilization of Crape Myrtles to once a year during the springtime.
The over-feeding causes the plant to grow more foliage than the flower. As a general rule, annually, you should start fertilization of Crape Myrtles in early spring when the leave buds appear. You should water Crape Myrtles after fertilization so the soil can easily absorb the nutrients and spread it over the root.
After a summertime when the blooming stops and the fall comes, you should get your Crape Myrtles tree ready for the winter.
In the fall, stop fertilizing and reduce the watering of the plant. Adding much fertilizer or water in the latent period of Crape Myrtles will not do any good to the plant. Many people get unhappy that their Crape Myrtles did not bloom properly. To make Crape Myrtles bloom to its fullest, you have to prune it when it is dormant. For a single trunk tree, cut the side branches to allow the single trunk to get active and be able to use all the nutrients during the growing season.
For Multi-trunk trees, prune the branches, so it does not become overcrowded or branches touch each other. This results in a tree to use all the resources back into growing new branches and leaves rather than blooming flowers. Before planting, have your soil tested by your local Extension office to properly prepare your site. Some trees may not need to be pruned. Prune the trees so that they maintain a natural shape, and thin out branches to allow light into the canopy.
Do not just cut off the top of your crape myrtle trees. Then, to maximize spring growth and summer bloom, fertilize crape myrtles in early spring just prior to new growth. Overfertilizing trees will cause excess growth and reduce the number of blooms on each tree. When planting crape myrtles, gardeners should install a layer of mulch about 3 to 5 inches deep in an area twice as large as the planting hole.
If using an or fertilizer, use one pound of fertilizer for every square feet of the planting bed for small shrubs and dwarf varieties. However, if you are using a or solution, follow the same rate, but reduce the amount of fertilizer to half a pound. Opt for a slow-release fertilizer, such as Osmocote, or any all-purpose fertilizer containing trace minerals. Therefore, fertilize them three times during the first year of growth — in March, May, and then in late summer. Reduce fertilization once your crepe myrtle becomes established as they do not need much fertilizer.
Fertilize the mature flowering trees just once a year, before the new growth and flower buds emerge i.
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