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| My Crape Mytles did not flower this year. I think I screwed up by feeding them last winter. Growth has been good but no flowers. What type of fertilizer should they get? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| That wouldn't do it, it would instead be something like weather conditions or maybe ill-timed pruning. Fertilize when you have a definite indication of a need like a soil test report showing a deficiency or poor foliage color. Do not fertilize because you think that is always a regular part of plant maintenance in all situations. It is not. |
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| Mine haven't either and usually they would be in full bloom by now. The season this year has been really messed up locally. Two months of clouds, rain and below normal temps--they even leafed out later than normal. I bet they will get their act together soon as weather has improved some. Still, at this rate they'll be blooming in September and October.--They do look really lush though. |
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| I have not even noticed buds. But, I have not examined the plant carefully. It is usually getting ready to bloom by now. The wet, cool weather could be a factor. |
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- Posted by donnabaskets 7b-8 MS (My Page) on Sun, Aug 9, 09 at 18:50
| This from the Southern Living Garden Book: What Crape Myrtles need: A sunny location where the air moves freely around them. Moist, moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Crape myrtles bloom on new wood, so prune in late winter or early spring to increase flower production. (No need to completely amputate branches, however.) The clue here, could be that "moderately fertile" part. Perhaps you gave the plant too much nitrogen and it made all leaves and no flowers? |
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| Mine are slow to bloom also, if not at all yet. Even where they are in full sun all day they are blooming but at a very reduced rate. How much sun a day would be necessary? Would 4-5 hours of 9-2pm sun not be enough. I'm having some late PM shade issues (after 3pm) from the overgrown (100' +) trees around me, but I've been hearing from just about everyone how the crapes don't seem to be producing this year like in past. I wonder if the absence of all the honey bees I used to have around has anything to do with it, since the only thing I've seen are bumble bees. I've also been hit pretty hard by them dam voracious-eating beetles again this year, too. That didn't help! |
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| Hi all. I'm having a similar problem. I have 3 basham pink crape myrtles in full sun all day. 2 have been blooming all summer. The 3rd bloomed once and has been full of healthy looking green buds for about 5 weeks but only 1 cluster of buds opened. The rest are just sitting there plump and green. The shrub is healthly looking with lush green leaves. The shrubs were planted 2 years ago, have never been fertilized, and were pruned minimally in March. Any ideas? |
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- Posted by paula_in_pa z6 SEPA ChesCo (My Page) on Mon, Aug 17, 09 at 15:36
| Yes, fertilizer is not 'food' - for plants. It's for correcting the soil, in order for your plants to derive what minerals they need from the soil, put simply. People mistakenly think fertilizer should be applied liberally, every year to shrubs and trees, and it's simply not necessary if the plant is growing well. One of the most common fertilizers needed is acid, for plants in the acid loving family (rhododendrons, azaleas most commonly known), if there is not enough acid in your soil, determined from a soil test. Well, that's more information than is needed for this thread. And Crape Myrtles don't need acidic soil. They in fact do very well in drought conditions. My 'Tonto' Crape Myrtle is finally in bloom, a full month later than normal. I also had a lot of die back on it from the harsh winter we had. |
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