Crepe Myrtle won’t bloom

Question

My crepe myrtle was planted a year ago. It’s a pretty big size. Last summer it bloomed beautifully. This year it looks like black leaves and no blooms. Gets plenty of sun and water but the roots aren’t soaked. What is wrong? All the neighboring trees look great.

Answer 1

There could be a couple of things going on; the winter might have adversely affected your young tree; too much nitrogen or not enough phosphorous will interfere with flower production; the black leaves suggest sooty mold, or some other less common pathogen. Can you wipe the black off the leaves with a damp cloth? If so, you’ve got aphids or scale, with sooty mold growing on their honeydew excretions. Here’s an article on crepe myrtle:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/crepe-myrtle-tree-problems.htm
and one on sooty mold: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/how-to-get-rid-of-sooty-mold.htm
You can take soil and leaf samples to the Extension Service for analysis. This link will help you find the closest one: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/