How to Grow Crape Myrtle Bushes

Check to ensure a crape myrtle can grow in your climate. Most varieties of this plant thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 to 9. This includes areas where the lowest temperature during the year is between 0 and 30 degrees F.

Find a planting site for the crape myrtle tree. It does best in full sun but can also grow in partial shade. Crape myrtle thrives in most types of soil, as long as it has good drainage.

Obtain a young crape myrtle bush with the desired characteristics from a nursery. This typically is a seedling less than 18 inches tall.

Dig a planting hole for the crape myrtle bush in the selected site. Remove the bush from its container, and place the bush in the hole so that its soil line is at the same level as it was in the container. Spread out the roots as much as possible so that they do not cross each other. Fill the hole with native soil, and water the soil thoroughly to remove any air pockets.

Cover the base of the crape myrtle with 3 inches of mulch to retain moisture. Water the crape myrtle bush once each week with at least one inch of water. Continue this schedule during the spring and summer of the first two years.

Add 2 cups 5-10-5 fertilizer in early spring before the crape myrtle bush begins to grow, if it is in very poor soil. Ensure that you don't put fertilizer next to the trunk.