Crepe Myrtles

Question

I have a crepe myrtle that my customer says has young limbs falling off. This is before they turn woody. Have you ever heard of that?

Answer 1

There are 2 possibilities. One is tip blight, which is caused by a fungus and can be treated with a fungicide. The other is thrips, which also can attack the new grow and can be treated with a pesticide. I personally like to use neem oil because it is both a fungicide and a pesticide, so you can treat for both at the same time.