where can I purchase the hardiest variety of crepe myrtle?
I would recommend visiting Petitti's. That will be the best best in this area for finding a hardy crepe myrtle. Even then, there is no crepe myrtle that you can find that will grow well in the NE Ohio area. It is possible to grow one, but it will need a sheltered location and even then, it will die back to the ground every winter and will never be more than a shrub.
I would recommend looking at an American Fringe Tree as an alternative. It is hardy in this area and will give you a lovely show in the spring. You can also look at Pagoda dogwood (and many other types), Japanese lilac, flowering crabapple, viburnum, serviceberry, and redbud.
My crepe myrtles are approx. 25 yrs old and I have prune them to make lovely trees. Each crepe myrtle has 3-5 main trunks, and all are 2-4 inch thick. First branch is approx 6 ft. from ground. Can i cut these trees back to approx. 4 ft, below all limbs, to start new growth to hide an ugly chicken wire fence that a new neighbor put up. Any help will be appreciated. Thanking you in advance
The following articles should help with pruning of you crepe myrtle trees: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/pruning-crepe-myrtle-trees.htm
I have 12 acoma crepes which are about 5 years old and doing well. Question: Should I be pruning those little "twigs" that you see in the pic I attached? Will doing so increase blooms? I generally minimize pruning and usually just prune some length off the long branches that develop. I don't get a lot of blooms off these trees. I wish I got more. Thanks, Tom Larsen 770-654-4798 tom222@bellsouth.net
It is not necessary to prune these at all unless you want to take off the lower branches to shape it up. It will stand a pruning in late winter or early spring. Here is an article that will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/acoma-crape-myrtle-care.htm
We just moved to a new home in central west New Jersey in mid November. There is an overgrown Crepe Myrtle next the house. It is now the beginning of February. Is it unusual that the leaves have not fallen off? They are brown.
No, this is very common. Some varieties will hold on to the old leaves until the new ones start to replace them. Here is an article for more information on their care: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/crepe-myrtle-care.htm
This 30' tree is too big for its space. How may it be pruned back to 15'? Its trunk is comprised of multi-trunks but makes one solid trunk of about 20" in diameter. Thank you.
The following articles should help with pruning of you crepe myrtle trees: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/pruning-crepe-myrtle-trees.htm
Weather here (Houston area) has been weird. Had a horrible freeze but warm again. Now my Myrtles are getting green leaves just when they are scheduled to be trimmed. Is it OK to cut them back when there is new growth?
Mother Nature does like to keep us on our toes!
Since pruning a Crepe Myrtle is not necessary, I would forgo any pruning this season.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/pruning-crepe-myrtle-trees.htm
What is making my crepe mytrle sick? I live in the San Diego area, and I love this tree and the shade it offers and it would crush me to lose it. It dropped all its leaves a couple months ago when it got colder. Buds. leaves are beginning to come back, but not everywhere, and I noticed last year leaves dropping after getting yellow/brown on the edges. The bark looks normal. Our soil is mostly lousy clay, and though we water it sufficiently the area is suffering drought and the water may be slightly saline as a result. I added some gypsum last year when it began looking sickly. We are not the most diligent tree caretakers, we have 2 acres and it's a lot of work. We also have 3 mulberries (planted long before we moved here) , they are dying of some fungus and I worry it may be something that can spread?
There are many fungi that can and do infect these. The best thing that I can suggest is to hold off on the watering during the winter, and let it go dormant. This is what it will do naturally. When you start to see new growth is when you will apply, both, dolomitic lime, and wettable sulfur. This will take care of the infection.