Crepe Myrtle - Buds?

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 22nd, 2013, 11:58 am

I took some thickish hardwood cuttings off the crepe myrtle at the front of my house and now I think I have buds. I did this after seeing a blog where a person used y shaped bits of crepe myrtle tree branches which had been drying for 3 weeks to create a tressel for their vege garden vines and to their surprise the crepe bits started to sprout! I now think that I have some buds forming (hopefully). The parts of the tree I took had no foliage on them, just like the ones I saw on the blog. I got the good camera out to see them better.

Dibbo · Post by **Dibbo** » June 22nd, 2013, 12:10 pm

When did you take the cuttings? I have a similar situation with my next door neighbours crepe myrtle but I am thinking I should wait till spring.

Post by **kcpoole** » June 22nd, 2013, 12:14 pm

Yep they will be buds from the stored energy in the tree most likely.
Keep the water and humidity up and Crepe should root well from cuttings.

Ken

Post by **kcpoole** » June 22nd, 2013, 12:15 pm

Dibbo wrote:When did you take the cuttings? I have a similar situation with my next door neighbours crepe myrtle but I am thinking I should wait till spring.

I will wit till later in Winter to take hardwood cuttings.
use plenty of hormone and Humidity.

Ken

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 22nd, 2013, 12:29 pm

8th June - I read that you take hardwood cuttings from them in winter.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 22nd, 2013, 12:33 pm

Prob was too early, but hopefully it will be ok. I took a range of sizes to see which did best.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Post by **kcpoole** » June 22nd, 2013, 4:01 pm

Should be good where you are in Qld to take them now. Sydney I would wait another month

Beano · Post by **Beano** » July 19th, 2013, 10:46 am

These seem to be doing well now. The HUGE one has buds on all branches now, I hope it continues to grow well and develop strong roots. The smaller cuttings are developing much faster (obviously) and I think some of these will make some nice smaller bonsai in the future, if I'm lucky.

Ray M · Post by **Ray M** » July 19th, 2013, 11:13 am

Hi Beano,
Their looking good mate. One time I helped my neighbor cut down a reasonable size tree. I took cuttings and even put them under bottles to create good humidity. They seem to take off very well but unfortunately they kicked the bucket. They were using the stored energy in the cuttings. This was a couple of years ago and I can't remember what time of year it was. Yours are looking quite healthy. Hope they continue to grow well. Have you been feeding them with anything?

Regards Ray

Boics · Post by **Boics** » July 19th, 2013, 11:37 am

Yes.

I too fell for the stored energy trap.

Some EE's I collected threw buds and then leaves everywhere but unfortunately withered and died in a month or so.
On the contrary the signs you show are true to form of those that will survive!
Time will tell - good luck.

Beano · Post by **Beano** » July 19th, 2013, 2:56 pm

I took them on 8th of June. I hope the really big one makes it. They're still a bit wiggly in the pot so I won't be separating them until next year I suspect.

I think I would like the big one to have shorter branches but I thought there could be some dieback with the sawing so I cut them longer. I want it to be established before I saw it again too, that will be a project for later in the year.

Beano · Post by **Beano** » July 19th, 2013, 2:58 pm

Once it continued to bud, I gave some quarter strength Yates stinky fish fertiliser. I was worried that it might kill it, so I've only done that once.

Beano · Post by **Beano** » August 24th, 2013, 10:13 am

Update:
They're doing well still. The big one is getting more solid in the pot, though I moved the pot the other day and it wobbled a bit more than I'd like.

Should I just leave it to bud wherever it likes or should I rub off some where they are gathering at the same area? Is it important to have a certain amount of leaves to help the roots develop?

shibui · Post by **shibui** » August 24th, 2013, 8:15 pm

Leaves will definitely help root development so leave as much as you can for the time being. if you really need to reduce some of the shoots then take off the minimum amount. I'd be starting light feeding about this stage as well. Fert will also help the roots develop. A liquid foliar fert would be best and light doses only for the moment.

Beano · Post by **Beano** » August 25th, 2013, 9:18 am

I've been using quarter strength Yates fish emulsion, but yesterday I tried some power feed.

AusBonsai