Question:
- My crepe myrtle tree used to have beautiful lavender flowers, but twelve years ago, the tree broke in half. Since then, it has never flowered again; instead, the leaves of the whole tree turn a bright red. What must I do to get it to flower again? What do you think happened to this tree?
Answer:
- Crape Myrtles do not stop blooming just because the tree's structure has been damaged. They bloom only on the terminal ends of the new growth formed in the spring. You'll never find any flowers in the interior area of the canopy.
- Once it finishes flowering, the seed develops in the form of a green, round structure that then turns brown when mature. The structure shatters, distributing the sterile seeds. The seed pods are pruned off when the tree is pruned.
- You get little to no flowers when a tree produces little to no growth.
- To stimulate the growth, fertilize in March and late May with an all-purpose organic fertilizer. I'd apply half a pound of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter measured two feet off the ground. It's spread around the drip line of the tree. The first application is made after the tree has been pruned. The second application is made in June.
- The red foliage indicates that the Crape Myrtle has stopped growing. The red leaf color is a resistive gene color that is seen in the fall before the leaf drop. It indicates that the growth of the tree has stopped.
- There may be other problems influencing growth, but I'm not sure what they might be. I'd have an arborist evaluate the situation to determine what other problems are occurring.
Question:
Is it okay to plant bulbs in containers/planters instead of the ground? If so, when is the best time to plant bulbs? This is all new to me.Answer:
- It's perfectly okay to plant bulbs in containers of all sizes and shapes.
- The end of October through the end of the year is the best time to plant bulbs in the ground. Container plants can be done starting in October. This is when the days are getting shorter and cooler. In addition, you should purchase your bulbs early for the best selection.
- Tulips and Hyacinths need to be chilled for six weeks before planting in a refrigerator and removing any fruit. The naturally releasing ethylene gas from the fruit will damage the immature flowers.
- The remaining bulbs are stored in the garage or any other dry location until you are ready to plant. Depending on the size of the container, you can piggyback the bulbs depending on the planting depth.
- When you are ready to plant, be sure to add Bulb Food to the soil mix. Depending on the size of the bulb, add a teaspoon or tablespoon of Bulb Food under each one. There should be a layer of soil between the bulbs and the fertilizer.
- And finally, add some seasonal color, so they are colorful right away.