How to Grow Crape Myrtle

First, you need to decide where in your garden the crape myrtle should go.

• They need full sun and good air circulation for the best blooms. Six hours of sun a day is the minimum requirement.
• It will grow in most soil as long as there is good drainage. It will suffer from root rot if there is standing water.
• Soil pH isn't too important. But crape myrtles do prefer neutral or slightly acidic soil. Avoid rich soil or alkaline soil.

Choose a variety that won’t outgrow its space or need constant pruning. Crape myrtle comes in different sizes and growth habits. Sometimes it's listed as a shrub, but it can grow up to 30 feet tall.

Some gardeners cut the main central branch to permanently ruin the growth structure. This can make it look sickly in the long run. If you're certain you want a shrub and not a tree, we suggest a different plant. Let a Garden Center associate help you find the one best for your site.

• Dig a hole three to four times as wide as the container. For example, if your root ball is 2 to 3 feet wide. You'll want your hole to be between 6 and twelve feet wide. That would be a full-grown crepe myrtle. If it's a young plant, your hole will be much smaller.
• You want to make it easy for the plant’s roots to grow outward. The hole should not be deeper than the height of the container.

• Ease the plant out of the pot. If the roots were growing in a circle in the pot, gently spread them out.
• Set the plant in the hole so the place where the trunk meets the roots is at the soil line. Don't leave the plant too high or too deep.
• Replace half of the soil and lightly press it down. Make sure you eliminate air pockets. Water gently.
• Replace the rest of the soil. Make a shallow saucer of soil around the perimeter of the hole. It should look like a moat that holds water.

• Water gently but deeply. A strong jet of water will wash away soil.
• For the first 2 months after planting, water at least once a week if there is no rain.
• Water with 2 to 3 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter.
• Only water the roots, not the foliage. Wetting the foliage creates powdery mildew.

• Mulch with pine straw, shredded leaves or shredded wood mulch.
• Pile the mulch 3-inches deep around the plant, keeping it away from the trunk. Do not mulch like a volcano.

Tip: After the flowers fade, crape myrtle produces attractive seedpods. The seeds can sprout where you don’t want them, so remove fallen seeds when you see them.