How to Start Crape Myrtles

Examine the main branch of the crape myrtle to find the stems that branch off. Look for stems with new growth or soft wood in the spring or summer. To tell if a stem is soft wood, bend the stem back -- if it bends easily and does not snap or break, it is soft wood.

Remove a 6- to 8-inch cutting of soft wood. The stem must have three or four leaf nodes. A leaf node is a bump on the stem from which the leaves emerge.

Remove all the leaves on the stem except the top two or three.

Wrap the bottom end of the cutting in a wet paper towel.

Mix equal amounts of sand and potting soil in a bucket.

Fill a 4-inch pot with the sand and potting soil.

Moisten the soil with water, and allow the water to drain from the drainage holes.

Wet the bottom end of the cutting in a glass of water. Shake the cutting gently to remove excess water.

Dip the wet end into rooting hormone. Tap the cutting to remove excess rooting hormone.

Make a hole in the soil with the end of a pencil, and insert the end of the cutting with rooting hormone into the hole to a depth of 3 or 4 inches.

Firm the soil around the cutting with your fingers.

Place a clear plastic bag over the pot. Place the pot in a bright window, but not in direct sunlight. The plastic bag holds in humidity that the crape myrtle needs to root and grow.

Check the cutting every other day, and water the soil if it is dried out. The soil needs to be kept evenly moist, but not soggy.

Pull on the cutting after one month to check for roots. If you feel some resistance, the roots have formed. Remove the clear plastic bag at this stage. It takes one to two months for the roots to form.

Harden off the crape myrtle before transplanting it into the garden. Take the crape myrtle outdoors for an hour, and place it in a shady, protected area. The next day, increase the outdoor time to two hours. Increase the outdoor exposure by an hour each day over the course of two weeks. After that, the crape myrtle may be transplanted into the prepared site.