First off, you need a pair of pruning shears. They don't have to be expensive, but they do need to be clean and sharp.

When you break off pieces of the crepes, you can tear the bark and cause unsightly ends and even injury to your plant. Much better to snip the cutting. It looks better when you are done, too.

Take cuttings from the tips or ends of the branches. Ideally, you would do this just as they start to form buds, when night time temps are consistantly 70 degrees or warmer. You can do it now with success. tho, even if they are blooming.

Make a cut about 1/4" above a node, about 6" from the end of the branch. If you clip close above the node, the branch will easily put on new growth from there. If you leave a stub, it will have to die, and fall off, and still may not put on new growth. It will only make new growth from a node. Collect several cuttings, put them in a ziplock bag, and keep them in the shade until you are ready to stick them. A small ice chest, such as one for a 6-pack is ideal for this. Don't let the cuttings dry out or wilt; they will not recover.

I would stick them in pots, and I would use a mix of peat and perlite, in a 50-50 mix. You can use sand, vermiculite, or a purchased soil-less mix. I am just suggesting what I use. Soil in your flowerbed has a lot of bacteria and other pathogens that can/might/will attack your little cutting and kill it.

Peat needs to be moistened before you work with it. This applies whether you are mixing for cuttings, for a flowerbed, or whatever. Before I ever open a bag or bale to use, I poke a hole in the package and stick the water hose in to run slowly. The peat can absorb a LOT of water! You don't want to work with it dry either, it is not good for you to be breathing this stuff. Lots of little thingies that could be harmfull to your health in there. Wetting the peat makes it bearable to work with.

Fill several pots with your medium. Have several markers available. I counsel using miniblinds, cut apart and into pieces about 5-6" long for a marker. Even if you buy a new miniblind, it costs only about $4.00, and you can cut a cazillion markers from it. With a #2 lead pencil, like we used in school, write the pertinant information on the marker. The pencil is by far the best thing to use to record the information you will need in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months or in 5 years! It will not fade, wash off, or rub off. You can erase it and reuse the marker, however.

So, you have your pots and markers ready, clean the cuttings by trimming the long stem under the bottom node on your cutting and removing all but the top 3 or 4 leaves. Leave about 1/4" of stem under the bottom node. Dip into some rooting hormone, and place into a hole that you have made with a stick or your finger in the medium in your pot. Pull the medium up snug aroung the cutting, and proceed with the next cutting. You can put a lot of cuttings in one pot. Stick the marker, and place the pot in the drip line of your house, (if you have no gutters on the house), or in a spot that stays shady all the time, if you do have gutters. Condensation from the night will fall off the roof and water your pot every night. You will have to water the pot otherwise. Don't let it dry out, not even once.

You could use a chamber like the one in the link too. I thought you might be interested in it. Helps with the watering situation.

Good Luck!

Janie

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Propagation Chamber

Janie I really appreciate all the great advice. That covered every question I had and now I finally understand how to use peat. sometimes the little details can be very important.

thanks again, : )

You are very welcome. This subject is near and dear to my heart.

Janie

Wow, Janie, thanks from someone just lurking on this discussion. You detailed it so well, I feel like even I can do this now. Thanks!

How hard is it to plant the suckers that come up underneath?

By the way, some suckers are coming up in my yard along the back fence from my neighbors' crepe myrtles, which look really good. Should I just let them go? They're in an area that would be perfect for a couple of crepe myrtles and I'm thinking "hey that would be free."

I guess I'll just watch them to see if they take off.

Just let them go. They will grow into trees rather quickly. They will likely be white, if they came from seed, or whatever color the parent if they are off a runner.

A crepe myrtle is a plant that, once you have it, you always have it. They can be propagated very easily from root cuttings too. The sprouts that come from underneath are very easy to grow on, if you can get some of the root with it.

I don't know about growing the 'water sprouts', which is what we call the long straight sprouts that come on after a wet spell. I never did like them, and I just wouldn't try to grow them.

Janie