Bob said it well. Just be sure that the root area is getting wet all the way to the bottom - stick a finger in the soil and see if it is wet a few inches down. If it's dry, water. Leaves may continue to wilt in the late afternoon for the next few days or weeks, but if they are still wilted come morning, you need to water more, even twice a day. If they are perked up in the morning, it's is probably a response to the heat/sun, and needn't cause panic, as long as it was well watered in the last day or so.

You may need to water daily (or even twice a day)for the first few days, especially if it's hot, sunny or windy - the SW corner is probably full sun, most of the day and all afternoon, so will be more stressful than the NW corner where the smaller CM went. As the tree adjusts, it will need less frequent watering, but do water according to the moisture content of the soil and not to a set schedule. And don't be too surprised if the tree drops its leaves early - it's one way for it to adjust to the smaller root area.

Oh, Dibbit and Botanybob, I hope it perks up. It is very chilly this evening and the Muskogee is still a bit limp, but i will be checking in the morning and water again. I placed a soaker hose tree ring around the base and will check the soil and water accordingly. I know CM's are hearty trees and have some confidence it will be fine. Will keep you posted. Thanks for your comments!

Oh yeah, if you haven't mulched already, do so. As widely as you can, no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the 2-3" right next to the trunks, to limit rotting down the road. If you want to mulch over grass and don't want to be weeding it out in the future, you can lay down 4-6 sheets of black-ink newspaper or a layer of flattened cardboard to smother the grass - just be sure to cover all the edges well, as they can wick moisture away from the soil.

You might spritz the leaves with a fish-&-seaweed solution, too.

& even if the crepe loses every leaf, it may leaf out again, in the spring if not this fall.

Best luck.

larger Cms dug up before they go dormant do suffer; just like you described about your Muskogee Crape. Usually, when they wilt, if they are given deep soaking once a week and if the rootball is checked ever other day to ensure it has the right levels of moisture, they usually recover.

I've never sprayed the foliage with a fish and seaweed solution, but lots of people who change out the water in their fresh water, fish tanks drain those into their landscaping; generally, the shrubs and plants do respond dramatically well.

Thanks for your insight and great commments. Latest on the Muskogee...because it is on the southwest corner of the house, the leaves look pretty good in the morning, but the afternoon sun really wilts the leaves, especially the top part of the tree. Guess this is transpiration occuring. We have had no rain and no cloudy days, so by mid afternoon, the tree is wlting. My question - the interior leaves of the lower part of the tree are yellowing/changing colors already. Am i watering this tree too much, or is this a natural occurrence with the transplant? I am watering the tree in the morning and sometimes late afternoon if it is really wilted. Sometimes i let the hose run very slowly for a few hours, other times i use a soaker hose and let it run a few hours. I know overwatering is not good, and i hope i am not overwatering, but this is a large tree with a large rootball. Thanks to all.

You may now be overwatering. It can be really hard to judge on a large tree moved into a very sunny location. But, since you are getting some leaf drop from the interior, I would water once a day at the most, and maybe start going longer between watering - the tree SHOULD have started to grow new roots after a week, and you want to encourage this.

Using the soaker hose for several hours should give the roots enough moisture, esp. if you have mulched. Start checking the soil in the root ball, and only water if it's dry in the top few inches. After another few weeks, then only water when the surrounding soil is dry.

The late PM wilting, as long as it perks up after dark, or by morning, really shouldn't require you to go back out with the hose - it's bad if the leaves are still wilty after it cools off, but wilty in the PM is normal protective action on the plant's part.

And the leaf drop may also be a normal reaction to the stress of the moving - the tree may just be going dormant early. As long as the cambium layer - just under the bark - is still green on the twigs when you scrach lightly at the bark, I wouldn't worry. If all the leaves drop early, you still need to water the roots - they will grow until the ground freezes. Just water according to how wet the soil is, not on a set schedule. Your tree should be fine next year. Just do water it a bit more than you would an established tree, as well as the smaller one, for the next 2 years.

I've had good luck using "market" umbrellas to shade recently moved shrubs and trees. Keeping the sun off the plant for a few weeks really makes the recovery go more smoothly.

DIbbit, thanks for your input. I think I am now on track and more confident. The gardens have been mulched with a good 3" of organic double shredded tan bark and I am checking the rootball each day. The Raspberry Sundae is looking good and no wilting at all, but this transplanted CM was a smaller tree than the Muskogee. I do see a web in the tree that i am going to cut out. I hope this tree doesnt give me a problem with powdery mildew since in its previuos location, it enjoyed a southern exposure. It is now planted in a northwest location, so it is getting morning shade. I know this variety can be prone to PM, but hopefully the hot afternoon, western sun, will compensate for the shady morning.

Any idea what this web could be? Hope it is not caterpillars. I see no evidence of caterpillars.

Dorry, my computer's been down.... Anyway, I would assume, despite no caterpillars being visible, that you have fall web worms. They are unsightly but harmless. Taking down the web will expose the putative caterpillars to birds, but if that IS what you have, the surviving web worms may rebuild, and you may have to remove it more than once.

You may also have had a spider that builds really thick webs, although they are more usually close to the ground. Same applies, you may have to remove it more than once to discourage it.

If the location has good air circulation,then PM shouldn't be a problem - I make NO guarantees!!! As you say, the afternoon sun should help.

Thanks, Dibbit, for your encouragement and insight. THe tree is looking great this morning and ALL of the leaves are perky! Most mornings the lower branches/leaves are perked up, but the top part of the branches/leaves are still wilted. I cut out the web in the Raspberry Sundae and will keep a watchful eye on it to see if any webs return!

Thought i would give an update to these CM's. Both are growing well, fully leafed and appear healthy. No evidence of buds on either tree, and I thought both had exhibited budding this time last year. I am not sure. I do hope i get buds on both trees. Thanks for all your good advice.

Your late September postings give evidence of why your CMs are blooming much later and much more slightly, than you saw them doing before they were transplanted to the southwest and northwest exposure areas.

The wilting that your Muskogee CM displayed even through the end of September, seems proof enough that today your CM is still trying to establish a balanced amount of roots compared to it's large top growth size. At least the tree is still alive and working hard on recovering to its original potential, glorious state.

Your 'Strawberry Sunday,' which since transplanted now ownly receives part-sun, most likely will always bloom later than others around town; growing in full sun. that is until it has the chance to grow more toward what ever available mid-day sun it potentially should be able to reach.

hello. I'm not sure what type of crape myrtle I have. It is a 3 gal size I got from Lowes. I planted it a few weeks ago and I have had a similar problem. All the leaves are browning and the smaller branches are becoming brittle and breaking off. About 2x I have added vitamin B to it and water about every other day. Last week we had triple digits and this week we are about 90. Help I don't want it to die.....

start your own post... this has nothing to do with an 8 year old post

nobody plants in august, anywhere where heat is possible .. and you now know the prime reason why.. temps ... see link

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

ken

Acavo de plantar un crape myrtle y sus ojas se marchitaron plants cuarto estoy triste sera que se van a morir ayuda por

Julio es un mes dificil para plantar un arbol nuevo-- es probable que nececite agua todos los dias. Si muere, no significa que ud no pueda plantar un crepe myrtle alli, mejor comprar otro y plantarlo en el otono.

We bought 2 crepe myrtle in 15 gallon containers in mid July. Will they be okay in the containers until Fall? We are having triple digit temps. Trees are placed in NW area of lawn with a shade wall on the east side. Well watered, but one has some wilting. Plant in October, maybe?

Zone 9A.

should have started your own post..

where are you.. big city name.. numbers alone are vague..

and yes.. TIMING of planting is a yuge issue.. see link ...

place pot in full bright shade.. or at least where the black is shaded.. and plant in late fall.. or maybe even in winter... i would usually suggest after it loses the leaves.. so the tree isnt stressed trying to hold them ... your specific location really helps with this info ... refe to section one ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Yes, I’d wait until October. You may have experience planting CMs, if so ignore me, but if not … they are very very very picky about being planted too deep. And in all the decades I’ve been growing different varieties of them at various homes, they looked pretty scraggly the first year and sometimes second. I’m sure there are exceptions, but just wanted to say don’t worry if they don’t seem to be thriving next year. They’re just getting their bearings. :)

Thank you both, Ken and Jinx. We put some saucers under the pots for now and a shade umbrella on the black pots. Trees look much better now. We have extreme heat in Northern California for 3 or 4 months, but there are many crepe myrtle planted and doing around town. We will wait until the leaves have dropped before planting. I also read previous comments. Thank you again. Appreciate your help immensely!

I’m in Texas, can commiserate regarding the heat and drought! Even my established Crapes are looking worn out right now.

Jinx

It's going to be a hot summer! The Crepe Myrtles are looking pretty good now in their pots. Hope to get them in the ground when it cools off in the late Fall. I'm not so panicked now. Looks like everything under control. Thanks for your help.