| Author | Content |
kutzloose02
Somerville, TN
March 25, 2011 3:43 AM Post #8448764
| How do you start from seed? I have one of only 2 years old. Plant book says easy to start from seed but can't find any direction on how to do this. Can it also be rooted from stem. |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 5:24 AM Post #8448879
| Here is some info on propagating from seed. Hope this helps.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/trees-shrubs/how-to-propagat...
http://www.ehow.com/how_8079097_grow-crape-myrtle-seed.html
And this is for cuttings
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/crapemyrtle2.htm |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 6:44 AM Post #8449034
| I would suggest propagating by cuttings instead of seed. Your dwarf CM is a hybrid that won't necessarily come true from seed, so you could wind up with different color flowers, non-dwarf growth habit, less resistant to diseases like powdery mildew, etc if you start the seeds. If you're just doing it for fun then go for seeds and see what you get, but if you have a particular spot in your garden in mind and need to know what size it's going to end up, then cuttings are a much better way to make sure you get what you want. |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 8:32 AM Post #8449232
| While searching for info for you, I found that Park Seed is offering seeds for a Dwarf Crapemyrtle series
http://www.google.com/search?q=park seed dwarf crapemyrtle&i... |
luciee
Hanceville, AL (Zone 7a)
March 25, 2011 9:08 AM Post #8449314
| I bought crepe myrtle seed from Park's back in the 70's.
When I was pregnant the last time, the lavender ones made me sick, and my Mother who was visiting, cut the blooms off. They were not hard to grow, I planted them in a pot and set them out when they were big enough. Luciee
This message was edited Mar 25, 2011 5:23 PM |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 9:31 AM Post #8449359
| Luciee, are you sure Lagerstroemia and Ligustrum lucidium are related? |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 12:20 PM Post #8449657
| If you can find someone (reputable) selling seed, then disregard my comment--I assumed you had collected seeds from your plant and wanted to start those. Places like T&M wouldn't sell things as dwarf CM's unless they knew they would come true & be dwarf so those would be a safe bet. |
luciee
Hanceville, AL (Zone 7a)
March 25, 2011 3:58 PM Post #8450021
| Moon, I had better go back and check. I read somewhere years ago that they were related. I guess this is a good way to get straightened out..LOL Luciee |
luciee
Hanceville, AL (Zone 7a)
March 25, 2011 4:19 PM Post #8450057
| Moon, I was wrong. My old gardening encyclopedia says crepe myrtle belongs to the Lythraceae and privet belongs to Olive. I knew privet and olive were in the same family, and should have looked it up before making a public statement that might lead someone astray. I need to edit the other one. Luciee |
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
March 25, 2011 4:23 PM Post #8450069
| Thanks, Luciee...I was wondering if I had misremembered...which is entirely likely...grin With all the taxonomic changes of late, a little botany a few decades ago doesn't go far...LOL |
WildcatThicket
Trenton(close to), TX (Zone 8a)
March 28, 2011 8:15 AM Post #8455645
| Growing crape myrtle from seed is easy. Some of the negative comments about crape myrtle from seed should be ignored in my opinion, of course I don't claim to be an expert or do I paralize myself with what can go wrong, they are only plants. I have a 15yo volunteer from seed that has been a beauty. I have many I have started from seed that are proving to be great plants.
It is true that crapes from seeds do give variations, different varities that may be patented, that may be quite different the crape that produced the seed and some are not desireable. Crapemyrtles have been intentionally crossed for centuries and many varities have crossed by bees. Crapes crossed by man do not always turn out to be good plants and those crossed by nature sometimes do. One of the ways crape hybridizers create new colors and multicolor blooms, like the pepperment and red rocket, is to treat the seeds with various chemicals causing mutations unatainable in nature.
I have about 100 seed grown crapes in the ground, I would have more if my local squirrel didn't think she was a beaver, she bites pencil size crapemyrtles off at the ground and carrys them away. I have acres to play with and if I don't like how it grows I let grow anyway. I have never had any trouble with powdery mildew
This winter I have sprouted seeds from some of my crapes grown from seed and I kept track of what seed was from whom. They are coming along slowly. All my cuttings that I have taken from my seed grown look just like the mother plants. So if you grow one you like you can take cuttings and have as many of the same plant as you want.
Have fun and grow some interesting plants, grow crapemyrtles from seed. The ony ones who won't have fun is the retail tree sellers.
PS: All crape myrtles you can buy are just like humans, they are all hybrids. Neither species reproduce true from seed.
This message was edited Mar 28, 2011 11:14 AM |
luciee
Hanceville, AL (Zone 7a)
March 28, 2011 10:06 AM Post #8455928
| Oh, by the way,Moon, it is not crepe myrtle but lilac which is kin to privet. Sorry for the mistake. Things do have a way of getting mixed up from youth to old age!!! Ha Ha Ha!! Luciee :) PS ,Good Monday morning. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
themoonhowl
Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)
March 28, 2011 10:44 AM Post #8456010
| Thanks Luciee...another tidbit to toss into the mix...I need a new "mental rolodex"...the retrieval system is getting bogged down...GRIN |
kutzloose02
Somerville, TN
March 30, 2011 5:21 PM Post #8461331
| All of the above have been extremely helpful. My dwarf plant came up out of nowhere on a empty lot next door. My husband dug it up and brought to me and we didn't even know what it was but when it came up it was a lavender, very small crape myrtle and I love it. There are 2 or 3 little tiny stems coming up close to the bush itself so I assume they have started from seed. From all of the information above, I will take cuttings and root from there. Thank you for all of the valuable information and advise. |
WildcatThicket
Trenton(close to), TX (Zone 8a)
March 31, 2011 7:00 AM Post #8462362
| The new sprouts you see are probably sprouts from the roots or trunk. Some seed grown crapes are very aggressive putting out suckers. When they do have that growth habit you have nice shorter bush with lots of growing tips that produce lots of blooms. I have tried pruning the sucker growth but all that does is to encourage more suckers. I just let the suckers grow an enjoy the color they provide. I like that look. I have grown my crapes with the seed produced by crapes that I have had at least 15 years. No need to buy seed, collect your own seeds from your crapes or rustle some seeds from a friend or neighbor. If the new growth is sprouted seeds you can pick them out and pot them and plant when reach planting size. Most well cared for seedlings will bloom in 120 to 150 days. Most of the time a very short wait to see what color blooms the crape produces. I get a wide range of colors, white, pink, lavender, purple and many shades in between. NO REDS.
Crapemyrtles from seeds is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get. I am sure Forest won't mind me using that. |
