Also, about how much water during each feeding? I am in Jacksonville, FL (Zone 9a)

And I meant 5x per week.

I agree with that, as long as your soil drains well. I usually water my new ones every other day, by putting a hose near the trunk and letting it drip (not drop by drop, but running very slowly, making sure of no run-off) until I know the root ball is irrigated. Amount time varies by soil, I normally do it for an hour. Once a Crape is established (usually by year 2, depending on a few factors), I never water them. They're extremely drought-tolerant once established, but very sensitive to drying out the first year. In 25+ yrs I've lost one Crape Myrtle to drying out ... never lost one to being overwatered.

You may need to water frequently for more than a couple of months, depending on rainfall in your area. I'm in Texas, and our Fall is usually pretty hot and dry.

water it deeply ...

then dont water it again.. until your finger.. inserted about 2 inches.. indicates the soil is drying ...

shall we presume it is properly mulched???

if you dont FIND out.. with your finger.. or a teaspoon or something.. then you are guessing ... and that is a problem ...

in the heat of summer.. it will need a lot more water.. than it will come fall or winter.. and your finger will tell you how much longer between waterings ... so you will know.. when to cut back ...

your finger will also take into account.. rain that keep the soil moist ...

how it all works in your area.. in your soil .. with your weather.. is all about your finger ... you can read all you want .. and we can tell you all kinds of ideas ... but you have to figure it out in your garden

you sound excited about it.. have fun with it ...

ken

How often depends on the soil and the weather. And if the natural soil is much different in texture than the soil the tree came in watch that this soil does not dry out despite frequent watering, that keeps the existing soil moist. What often happens when trees are planted with intact root-balls is the soil around the tree having a greater attraction for water, so that the tree is always drying out despite watering. The resulting susceptibility to drought does not end until the tree roots into the native soil.

Plants often come from retail outlets with severe nutrient deficiencies, that may not always show much in the color of the foliage. So fertilizing your new tree enough to be sure it is in good shape is worthwhile. But otherwise summer fertilization is undesirable if it results in the production of a major flush of tender new growth, in any situation where falling behind on watering even one time on a hot day is possible.

Thanks everyone for some informative reading!

I've been shoving my finger in the ground and with the lack of rain, it seems daily water for a while will be the way to go. I've been focusing more on slow watering too.

and.. its my opinion.. being a TREE .. it will never need to be FED .. its not a child ... so no fertilization is needed ...

ken

Crape Myrtles only bloom on new growth, so yes, it's a good idea to fertilize, if desired ... but I wouldn't over-do it.

Need for fertilization is unrelated to what broad category of plant a specimen is.

No variety of crepe myrtle needs to be fertilized, I agree with ken on
the water issue. Don't fertilize, too much can minimize blooming.

Crapes don't need to be watered too much. Water, let it dry out, then water again. Crapes are super tough.

Hmmm, middle of summer in Jacksonville FL, newly planted, probably a canned specimen grown in super light medium, probably planted in sandy native soil and everyone is worried about TOO MUCH WATER???!!!

No, not "everyone".