No Leaves On Crepe Myrtle Reasons For Crepe Myrtle Not Leafing Out

The number one reason crepe myrtles fail to leaf out in spring is a very cold winter. Crepe myrtle selections vary in their cold-hardiness, but most are hardy to around 0 degrees. Drop below that and they may be killed to the ground or killed entirely.

How do I bring my crepe myrtle back to life?
How do you know when a crepe myrtle is dying?
When should a crepe myrtle get leaves?
What is wrong with my crepe myrtle?
What can kill a crepe myrtle?
How do you force a crepe myrtle to bloom?
What is the best fertilizer for crepe myrtle trees?
What happens if you don't prune a crepe myrtle?
What is the black stuff on my crepe myrtle?
How can I make my crepe myrtle grow faster?
Why does my crape myrtle look dead?
Can you over water crepe myrtles?

How do I bring my crepe myrtle back to life?

Reviving Crepe Myrtle After Neglect

Since it is summer now you want it to push some new growth so you can see the tree's strengths. ...
Use a normal tree and shrub fertilizer and apply it a foot or two away from the trunk and close to its source or sources of water.

How do you know when a crepe myrtle is dying?

3 Signs Your Crepe Myrtle Is In Distress

Leaf Spot. Brown spots on the leaves of your crepe myrtle is most likely a fungus known as leaf spot disease. ...
Powdery Residue. White, powdery residue on the leaves and flowers of your tree is most likely mildew. ...
Mold. If you notice the leaves of your crepe myrtle have a sooty residue, you most likely have a mold issue.

When should a crepe myrtle get leaves?

Crepe myrtles leaf out in spring, generally in late March or early April, in USDA zone 9.

What is wrong with my crepe myrtle?

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are essentially trouble-free small trees. The most common problems include powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, aphids, Japanese beetles, and sooty mold.

What can kill a crepe myrtle?

Glyphosate kills virtually any plant it touches. Herbicides containing glyphosate may be painted on freshly cut stumps or sprayed onto the foliage to kill the crape myrtle. Trim the cut end of older stumps to expose the wood surface before applying glosphate. Spray the foliage and branches of intact crape myrtles.

How do you force a crepe myrtle to bloom?

Crape myrtles need to have new growth each spring in order to produce summer flowers. These flowers come on current-season growth, so late winter/early spring fertilization can aid crape myrtle flowering in the summer. It is not too late to fertilize this year if you haven't yet. – Shade.

What is the best fertilizer for crepe myrtle trees?

To maximize spring growth and summer bloom, gardeners should fertilize their crape myrtles in early spring just prior to new growth. Fertilizers like 8-8-8, 10-10-10, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 will work fine and are ideal for crape myrtles but you shouldn't go over board.

What happens if you don't prune a crepe myrtle?

Flowers are not the only virtue of this tree. Many varieties have beautiful bark and growth habits that can be enjoyed all year if trees are not heavily pruned. This unsightly, ugly pruning known as crape murder is not recommended. Once it's done, it ruins the tree's graceful natural shape for the rest of its life.

What is the black stuff on my crepe myrtle?

Sooty mold is the black, crusty material that encompasses the leaves during the growing season. ... Sucking insects, such as aphids and scales, are attracted to crape myrtles and will suck the leaves for plant juices. As they digest the plant nutrients, they excrete a very sugary substance that we call honeydew.

How can I make my crepe myrtle grow faster?

Feed your crape myrtle a fertilizer heavy in nitrogen in spring. The nutrient is known to encourage growth. A six-year U.S. Forest Service study of eucalyptus-tree growth in Hawaii found that trees fed with nitrogen fertilizer were more than twice as tall as untreated trees during the first three years of growth.

Why does my crape myrtle look dead?

Crape myrtles go dormant during every winter. During the dormant stage crapes will lose all their leaves and look like a dead tree. ... You'll have to wait for another few weeks of consistent warm weather for them to leaf out again. Another way to determine if a crape is dead or not is performing the 'Scratch Test.

Can you over water crepe myrtles?

Watering Issues

Crape myrtle trees need the most moisture in the soil profile when they are actively growing -- when the plant displays leaves. ... Overwatering crape myrtles in spring and summer can diminish flowering, since overly moist soil promotes leafy growth, not flower production.