How to Replant Crepe Myrtle from Tree Limbs

Many varieties of the crepe myrtle exist. They range in size from medium shrubs to trees that approach 30 feet tall. The crepe myrtles have long-lasting flowers in shades of white, lavender, pink and red: flowers can remain on the plant for up to six months. This family of plants thrives in USDA climate zones 6 through 11, giving gardeners throughout much of the United States a choice of a hardy, attractive smaller tree. They prefer full sun and will grow in many types of soil, even enduring droughts. It’s possible to propagate the crepe myrtle from cut limbs.

Clippers
Sand
Peat moss
Nursery pot
Pencil or screwdriver
Rooting hormone

Instructions

- 1
  Take cuttings from the soft, fleshy tips of healthy limbs in May or June. Select small tips no larger than a finger in diameter and make your cuttings 5 to 7 inches long, cutting them at a 90-degree angle. Strip off any leaves that occur within about 3 inches of the cut end.
- 2
  Prepare a growing medium by combining equal parts of sand and peat moss. Fill nursery pots with the mixture, and then water them until water runs from the drainage holes.
- 3
  Poke holes 2 to 3 inches deep in your growing medium with a pencil or a screwdriver. Leave 4 to 5 inches between holes.
- 4
  Dip the ends of your cuttings in a commercial rooting hormone to facilitate rooting if you wish. Crepe myrtle often roots successfully without this aid.
- 5
  Insert the cut end of each cutting into its own planting hole, pushing it down 2 to 3 inches. Keep the cutting out of cold areas and direct sun until roots form, and keep the growing medium moist. Spray your cuttings with a mist of water at least once a day or enclose the potted cuttings inside sealed plastic bags to maintain high humidity.
- 6
  Transplant your rooted cuttings to a sunny area the following spring or grow them in large containers.

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