How to Grow and Propagate Crape Myrtle Trees

Gather hardwood cuttings as the crape myrtle enters dormancy -- after the first frost of the season, but before hard freezes set in.

Cut pieces so there are three to four nodes per piece. Keep the leaves in place. Three to five cuttings is sufficient for a 1-gallon or larger plant pot.

Fill the container with organic potting soil that is well-drained and moist. Stick the cuttings into the soil, right side up, with an inch or two sticking out of the soil. The cuttings will take three to four weeks to root.

Put the plant pots in a cold area such as a basement or garage in the winter, but do not let them freeze. The cuttings do not need much light or water. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag. Check the soil often, and mist it if it dries out.

Move the pot to a sunny location in the spring. Keep it watered. If temperatures dip and frost is possible, cover the container or move it to a protected location.

Wait for 6 to 12 inches of growth. The crape myrtles can now be planted in the ground.

Choose a planting location in full sun. Crape myrtles need light to grow strong and produce flowers. Shade will limit the plant's productivity and invite diseases. Keep the shrub away from large shade trees, because they compete for nutrients.

Dig a hole twice as wide as the root mass. Set the crape myrtle in the hole so it is at the same depth as in the container. Fill the hole with the removed soil, breaking up large clumps as you go.

Water the shrub thoroughly to remove air pockets from the soil. Spread 3 to 5 inches of mulch around the plant, keeping the mulch from touching the plant itself. The mulch will cut down on weed growth and retain soil moisture. Use hardwood mulch, pine bark, pine straw or shredded leaves.

Water crape myrtle once a week for the first two months of establishment. Irrigate the tree during dry periods to encourage blooming.

Apply a general-purpose fertilizer. Use one with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 10-10-10 or 16-4-8. Give 1 tsp. of food monthly from March to August to newly planted crape myrtle. Larger plants need a pound of fertilizer per 100 square feet once in the spring. Water in the fertilizer.