My Crape Myrtle needs some alot of work .Any ideas?

[SpongeMann]

First i will change its soil . But i am undecided on a style .

[SpongeMann]

I would like for my Crape Myrtle`s canopy (L. indica) to look like this beatiful tree.
Ooo

[kcpoole]

Nice clump style from that one I think

the picture you showed is a Maple, but you can get close.

Each of your trunks find the line of each one up thru the tree and where you get multiple branches from the one place, cut back to leave only branch.
Cut each trunk back shorter to remove any long lanky sections and finish with each trunk at different heights.

If you can fotograph against a plain background to help see too.
Ken

[SpongeMann]

Thanks for the comment I really appreciate the help . Yes Kcpoole it is a Maple. I am really fond of that particular tree. But Clump style is a good route. I will look into it. I will take better photographs tomorrow so yo can have a better look at it.Again thanks for the help

[Andrew F]

Wu!

[SpongeMann]

Yeah Andrew F ! Sorry buddy I didnt notice the comment .

[SpongeMann]

Hi guys I did some work on my Crape. I took a few hardwood cuttins. Tha are a few more branches that need to come off but i wat to air layer them. Any tips or advice on styling or growth will be really appreciated . the last three pics are the branches that i want to airlayer. I used a auto mechanics tool for compressing an automobiles springs to separate two of the trunks. I would like to hollow the trunk base since it already has alot of knarly deadwood . I dont know how crape mytle holds up when hollow . I have bonsai I bought that were worked. But i really love my yamadori pre bonsai trees. Especually this one . Thanks guys

[SpongeMann]

I gave the Crape a good root pruning. I need to prune the top more. And I want to remove two more trunks but I need them as anchors for bending the trunks.I will prune it more in a couple of day. I did a flat cut to the base last year but it needed to be cut more. The inside of the trunk is starting to rot and hollow out. I had to temporarily lay rocks on top of the soil because the tool I used to bend the trunks is heavy. I still have to clean up the trunks. Were it was wrongly pruned and the bark covered those horrible cuts.

[izzykay]

dolla dolla bill y'all.

[SpongeMann]

Yeah Izzy! cream get the money

[kcpoole]

[quote="SpongeMann"]I gave the Crape a good root pruning. I need to prune the top more. /quote]
I just read that and thought, Repotting Crepe Now!!!! Then realised you are in the US

Do not rush removing the other trunks. Crepe M take ages to heal scars anyway so another year or 2 will not hurt

Ken

[SpongeMann]

Lol its that time of the year out here. I am definately taking your advice. I am going to just keep on feeding and let it stretch its legs for a while. I am preparing for the war against Powdery mildew. This pre bonsai gets hit hard . It is pretty humid out here.I might make some thread grafts close to the wounds and give it a push start. What season are you guys in at the moment

[Andrew F]

What do you guys use over there in the way of inorganic soil?

[kcpoole]

Lol :)What season are you guys in at the moment

Mid summer.

high 20's to low to mid 30,s (deg C) most days.

Ken

[Webos]

I've found crepe myrtles to not give me the buds that I want. When cut back hard, they will shoot profusely from the cut site, but might not throw any new buds out anywhere else. So my advice would be to cut back as low as you want you branching to start and be vigilant with your pruning making sure that the tree doesn't get away from you.

Good luck

Adam