Potted crepe myrtles

alfunk · Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Vienna,VIRGINIA

Hello,

I have two potted crepe myrtles that I acquired a couple of years ago. Each year I have brought them into a garage (with windows) for the winter to keep them from getting too cold. This seems to have worked generally -- except that this year I brought them out too early (in April) and we had an unusual cold snap that brought nighttime temperatures into the mid-30's for a week or two.

As a result they went dormant and lost their fresh leaves.

Now one has no leaves yet and the other has a couple, but it doesn't look like they are attempting to come out in full.

Have I killed them by putting them through this stress?

Thanks

-Al

Tony M · Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Posts: 1086 Location: McKinney,TEXAS

Whatever you did is history. You have nothing to loose by lavishing them with TLC and hoping for the best.
We have CM's here in Texas that freeze to the ground when we get a real cold period and they come back from the roots. If you start seeing new shoots from the roots you can cut the old growth off and start over.
Tony M

sandih · Joined: 04 Apr 2003 Posts: 997 Location: Dallas,TEXAS

I have a miniature CM in a small part to make it look like a bonsai. I left it out last winter and it came back just fine this spring. I would leave them out next time. If it's not coming back, give it lots of sun and fertilize it.

alfunk · Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Vienna,VIRGINIA

Thanks for your help -- no leaves yet. I will keep watering, fertilize and see what happens.