With proper setting, the crepe myrtle is an easy to grow and popular tree. Crepe myrtle flower blooms in summer, when other trees stop flowering for an extended period. Crepe myrtle flowers are of utmost beautiful, pleasing, and enhance the beauty of a garden.
But sometimes, crepe myrtle flowers don’t bloom as expected. And finding the reasons becomes tricky because of the unavailability of any sign of diseases.
Today I will answer the question – why my crepe myrtle is not blooming. Many reasons are responsible for this problem, read them out from below.
Reasons for Not Blooming the Crepe Myrtle:
Nothing is more frustrating than a crepe myrtle tree without the flower in summer. Learning the reasons behind the problem will help you to solve the problem.
Late Pruning
When crepe myrtle is not blooming, chance is there that you have pruned the tree in the late of the season. As a result, new wood gets removed mistakenly. And buds are never developed for flowers. Remember not to prune a crepe myrtle tree before the flower blooms. Either you have to prune in the spring or once the crepe myrtle flower blooming season finishes.
Now one question might have popped up in your mind, what is the blooming season of the crepe myrtle tree?
Crepe myrtle flower blooms just after another flower blooming season ends.
Crowded Branches
Do you have an old crepe myrtle tree in your garden? Isn’t it blooming as expected?
Well, then wait for the blooming season and prune carefully to encourage flowering.
Look for the dead branches and trim them without any hesitation. Cutting the dead branches will allow sun rays and air to reach inside the tree. However, don’t just trim the branches without giving the tree a good and nice-looking shape.
Planted at Unsuitable Place
Crepe myrtle trees require adequate sunshine in the blooming season. If the tree is planted in a place where sunlight is unavailable or less than the requirement, crepe myrtle will not bloom for sure.
So visit the crepe myrtle tree area and find what is blocking sun rays to reach the tree.
Remove if any blockage is there.
Improper Fertilizer
So, the crepe myrtle tree is planted in an open place where sunshine is enough for blooming. And pruning is done at the right moment, and the tree is also not an old one, but is still your not blooming?
Then the problem could be with the soil.
At this point, the soil needs to be tested to know the % of ingredients in the soil. Enough phosphorus or high % of the nitrogen in the soil can be a reason for this problem.
The high presence of nitrogen will aid leaves to grow more; it doesn’t assist for blooming. So, picking the best fertilizer for crepe myrtles is significantly essential.
The best fertilizer will ensure the right balance of fertilizer in the soil.
Diseases
An adult crepe myrtle is a disease-resistant plant. But inadequate watering or over-watering, hot weather, exposure to less sunlight, inappropriate air circulation inside the tree leaves powdery mildew over the leaves.
This powdery mildew hampers proper growth and blooming of the crepe myrtle. You can use horticultural oil which works effectively to eliminate this attack from the fungus.
Drought
A dry, hot, and humid summer, less rainfall can change the blooming time. Due to this problem, your tree can bloom a bit later than usual.
Poor Drainage System
Crepe myrtle flowers can’t bloom well if the soil remains wet all the time. Poor blooming may happen because of the improper drainage system. Improvement of the drainage system might help in this regard.
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles are one the most common enemies of a crepe myrtle. They eat crepe myrtle leaves and picking them up using your hand is the best solution to get rid of them.
Soapy water can also be an excellent solution to this problem.
Take warm water and soap mixture in a pot and hold it underneath the leave and give a simple tap to the branch. The Beatles will fall into the water. When following this process, make sure to hold the soapy water close to the leaves. Otherwise, they will fly off, and you will miss them if the pot is 1” or 2” away from the leaves.
Applying neem oil will kill the larvae before they grow up.
Additionally, grubs also can’t grow into beetles when you place milky spores around your plant.
How to Take Care of Crepe Myrtle for Expected Blooming?
With little care, a crepe myrtle tree can survive and thrive on their own. In order to get the best blooming, follow the below tips meticulously.
● Use a fertilizer that contains a high dosage of nitrogen to fertilize annually in springtime.
● During the growing season, ensure pruning.
● Proper observation is mandatory to find any problem. Diseases and pests can slow down the growth of crepe myrtle. Right observation will allow you to find the problem and depending on the problem, go for the solution. Improper growth of the tree will never give you the best blooming.
● Make sure to plant crepe myrtle in a place where sunlight is present for the whole day.
FAQ
Question: How do I get my crepe myrtle to bloom?
Answer: New growth of crepe myrtle in spring is mandatory. Otherwise, it will not bloom in summer. Fertilizing at the end of the winter or beginning of the spring will aid crepe myrtle to bloom in summer. Improper use of fertilizer will give poor blooming of crepe myrtle.
Question: Should crepe myrtles be trimmed every year?
Answer: In fact, pruning is necessary to give a good shape to the crepe myrtle tree. Also, pruning helps air and sunlight to enter inside the tree. Annual pruning and trimming of the dead branches will boost up the blooming process.
Question: How long do crepe myrtles live?
Answer: Crepe myrtle tree will live 50 years with proper care and maintenance. Even some crepe myrtle tree lifespan is more than 50 years. All you need to do is, take appropriate care of the tree and ensure fertilizing following the right way.
Question: Where do crepe myrtles grow best?
Answer: Crepe myrtles can be grown into hardiness zones 6 – 10. Also, a humid climate is best for the growth of crepe myrtle. Even, this tree can tolerate drought once established. To get the best blooming of crepe myrtle, they need full sun. With less sunlight, crepe myrtle can’t grow well and the tree will deliver poor blooming. Or even if the flower blooms, you will get a discoloured flower.
The thumb rule is; without taking proper care, you must not expect brilliant blooming from crepe myrtle. And you will be able to take adequate care of your trees when you learn the reasons and problems of not blooming.
Hopefully, this guide will help you find the answer to the question – why my crepe myrtle is not blooming. Follow this guide meticulously and get an eye-catchy, attractive garden with blooming crepe myrtle.