Baby Crepe Myrtle!

I'm proud to introduce our newest baby Crepe Myrtle! Yes, this was a cutting last Fall! Now before you get too excited I must explain that my success to failure ratio in Crepe Myrtle propagation is VERY LOW! For every 6 cuttings I place...one survives. But that's one more than I had the year before so I'm pleased.

How did I do it? In the early Fall, I make both soft wood cuttings and green wood cuttings, I peel back the soft wood bark about 4 inches, remove any flowers, dip the stem in water, then into the tried and true rooting hormone and next into a really good location...either directly into the soil or a large pot. I make the hole in the soil with an old salvaged CB radio antenna. The hole is approximately 1/2 inch wide and 12 inches deep, then I put the cutting in and wait.

Sometimes I know rather quickly that a cutting is not going to make but sometimes I'm surprised. Todays first photo was a complete surprise...it was rooted last Fall in a corner part of the yard that receives morning sun and then dappled sunlight throughout the day to shade in the late afternoon.


Now this is a photo of one of my propagated Crepe Myrtles...it's about 6 years old now...stands almost 20 feet tall and has survived two of Mr. B's mowings...well survived from the soil down but he did manage to scalp it...wonder of wonders...it thrived.

So it can be done...my goal is to have a few crepe myrtles within the fence lines of Red and Yellow Honeysuckle, Carolina Creeper and Red Trumpet Vine. We'll see how long it takes...

Hope you enjoyed this little baby Crepe Myrtle's story.