Crepe myrtles not growing back... whats up??

[willcox912]

I have several crepe myrtles growing on my front lawn. I pruned them back in early March and some of them still havent' grown back yet. Some have several small buds growing along the branches about a cm long, while some have grown back completely, but one has grown completely on one side while the other side has only small buds along the branches. Can anyone help me with this problem? My lawn looks horrible.

 

[Dadatwins]

Welcome to site, some pics would help, but I will guess you pruned all the branches back to stubs typical 'crepe murder' style. They are hard to kill but it is possible.

 

[12guns]

I have several crepe myrtles growing on my front lawn. I pruned them back in early March and some of them still havent' grown back yet. Some have several small buds growing along the branches about a cm long, while some have grown back completely, but one has grown completely on one side while the other side has only small buds along the branches. Can anyone help me with this problem? My lawn looks horrible.

How's the weather been? It's been so screwed up here in AR, that my garden doesn't know what to do! It's finally heating up. Watered regularly? Ever done a soil test?

 

[willcox912]

Thank ya'll for your helpful advice. I will try to get some pictures posted this afternoon. I never thought about doing a soil test... that seems like a good idea, I will do that as well.

 

[willcox912]

Pictures of my crepe myrtle problem... please help!!

I took the soil sample to the extension office, but it will be two weeks before I will get the results. I will let you know what they are!!

 

[willcox912]

Have you used any herbicides near your trees? If so, which ones?

I used roundup around the outer edges of the pine straw base of the trees but each tree has pine straw around the base about 6 ft in diameter. I didn't think this would hurt the trees. Everyone elses crepe myrtles in the neighborhood are growing back normally. Is there anything I could try to correct the problem if it is the round up causing it?

 

[jrizman]

id say you pruned them pretty late in the season and thus they are having to work hard to put the growth back out. try to finish your pruning on these earlier in the year before things start to warm up.
give it some time. im betting they will be full in a few more weeks here.

 

[Elmore]

It does look like herbicide damage but it may not be. Why did you cut it. It should be a tree not a shrub. If it were mine I would apply a liberal dose of bar & chain oil to the base...cut it to the ground and start over. Let it put out new growth and train it properly with three to five well angled trunks. After that it would only be maintained with hand pruners, loppers, pole pruners and maybe an occasional cut with a pruning saw.

 

[treeseer]

Elmore's got a good idea. You've stressed the bejezus out of them by whacking so late.

 

[willcox912]

It does look like herbicide damage but it may not be. Why did you cut it. It should be a tree not a shrub. If it were mine I would apply a liberal dose of bar & chain oil to the base...cut it to the ground and start over. Let it put out new growth and train it properly with three to five well angled trunks. After that it would only be maintained with hand pruners, loppers, pole pruners and maybe an occasional cut with a pruning saw.

Thank you Elmore, I hope that they will come out in a couple of weeks but if they don't I'll heed your advise. I'll know now not to cut them so late if I decide to prune them. Once again thank you!!!

 

[Elmore]

If you do decide to renovate, cut them to the ground, wait until next January, late, or early to mid- February. Just let it grow this year and put on stores of carbs.