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Dan West Garden Center June 2007 Newsletter CRAPE MYRTLES CULTIVARS OF LAGERSTROEMIA Welcome to Crape Myrtle 101. Today we're going to talk about one of the most popular and misused plants in the Mid-South. Misused because crape myrtles come in various sizes...the miniatures (6' and under), the dwarfs (6' - 10') and the standards (10' - 25' or more). Too often we plant a standard where a dwarf should be and then butcher it each year to keep it from doing what it's supposed to do - grow tall! Many of the new varieties like Red Rocket bloom and grow better if you don't winter prune them, so plant the right variety and you save yourself some work. Crape myrtles just need a couple of things to perform well. They need full sun to look their best. Yes they'll grow with some shade, but they flower poorly and lean towards the sunlight. They need good air circulation because they are prone to powdery mildew although many of the newer cultivars show good resistance to the disease. Lastly, because they have so much lush tender growth, they are a favorite of aphids and scale insects (which secrete honeydew, which drips all over the plant, which grows sooty mold, which turns your foliage black), so monitor them for insects. Although not all are in stock at all times, we list over 100 varieties at Dan West. Here are the most popular and proven varieties. The Miniatures Baton Rouge - Deep red weeping variety, 2' - 3' tall. Bayou Marie - Bicolor, pink flower with deeper red edge. Picotee is most apparent in cooler weather, 2'-3' tall, very heavy bloomer. Bourbon Street - Watermelon red, heavy and early bloomer to 3' tall. Cherry Dazzle - Cherry red to 4' tall. The best of the Razzle Dazzle series, all of which show good disease resistance. Chickasaw - Pinkish lavender to 3', good mildew resistance. Dazzle Me Pink - Bright pink to 4' tall. New Orleans - Purple weeping habit, to 3' tall. Pocomoke - Very compact, densely branched, deep rose pink (almost red) flowers to 2' tall. Raspberry Dazzle - Raspberry red to 5' tall. Rhapsody In Pink - Bright pink to 4' tall. Rosey Carpet - Rose pink, less than 1' tall, 3' - 4' wide. Ruby Dazzle - Ruby red to 4' tall. Sacramento - Deep red somewhat weeping growth habit to 4' tall. Snow Dazzle - White to 4' tall. Tightwad - Very compact, light red flowers to 3', good disease resistance. Victor - Deep red to 5' tall, good disease resistance, yellow fall color. World's Fair - Watermelon red, weeping habit to 3' tall. The Dwarfs Acoma - White flowers and a weeping growth habit, 7' - 10' tall, 10' wide, excellent mildew resistance. Attractive peeling gray bark, purplish red fall color. Burgundy Cotton - Pale pink flowers, dark burgundy foliage, to 10' tall, do not winter prune this variety, highly resistant to mildew. Hopi - Medium pink, 7' - 10' tall, 10' wide, attractive bark, excellent mildew resistance, bright orange red fall foliage, very long bloom period. Pink Velour - Bright pink to 10' tall, burgundy new foliage, highly resistant to mildew, orange/brown fall color. Royalty - Deepest of the purples, grows to 8', mildew prone. Siren Red - Darkest of the reds to 10' tall, maroon new growth, excellent disease resistance. Tonto - Red to 10' tall, beautiful cream colored peeling bark, maroon fall foliage, mildew resistant. White Chocolate - Burgundy new growth turns chocolate brown with attractive white flowers, grows to 10' tall, vivid orange and yellow fall color, attractive bark. Zuni - Medium lavender to 10' tall, peeling bark with light brown/gray trunk, orange red to dark red fall color, very disease resistant. The Standards Arapaho - Dark magenta to red flowers, to 20' tall, 10' wide, highly tolerant of mildew, light tan peeling bark. Biloxi - Pale pink flowers, fast growing to 30', 12' wide, mottled peeling dark brown bark, dark yellow to orange red fall foliage, highly mildew tolerant. Catawba - Dark violet purple, 12' - 15' tall, brilliant orange red fall foliage, highly mildew resistant. Choctaw - Bright pink, 15' - 20' tall, 20' wide, light cinnamon brown peeling bark, good mildew resistance, bronze to maroon fall color. Dynamite - Excellent cherry red, to 20', crimson new growth, good disease resistance. Lipan - Medium lavender, 15' - 20' tall, probably the most attractive bark of any crape, near white to beige, highly disease resistant, beautiful light orange fall foliage. Miami - Dark pink, upright growth to 20' or more, dark chestnut brown trunk, excellent disease resistance, new foliage burgundy, exceptional orange fall color. Muskogee - Light lavender to 25' tall, 30' spread, medium brown peeling bark, highly mildew resistant, orange red fall foliage. Natchez - White to 30' tall, 35' spread, dark cinnamon brown trunk, excellent disease resistance, beautiful orange red fall foliage. Probably the best white. Osage - Clear pink, 12' - 15' tall, mottled chestnut brown trunk, mildew resistant, dark red fall color, long blooming. Raspberry Sundae - Bicolor, red flower with white edge, to 20' tall, prolific branching, upright growth, moderate mildew resistance, sterile cultivar, produces few seed heads. Red Rocket - Huge cone shaped red flowers often 20" or more in length, grow to 20' or more, crimson new foliage, highly resistant to powdery mildew, should not be winter pruned. Sarah's Favorite a.k.a. Sarah's Hardy, Dodd's White - Originally know as 5570EL, this was a cultivar developed at the same time with Natchez and Muskogee by the U. S. Arboretum and was sent to cooperative growers for evaluation. In 1976 a letter was sent to all the growers ordering them to destroy all selections except for Natchez and Muskogee. One grower did not destroy 5570EL and it is now known as Sarah's Favorite. Almost identical to Natchez, fast growing upright white, very cold hardy. Sioux - Vibrant dark pink, 12' - 15' tall, attractive medium brown peeling bark, maroon to bright red fall color, excellent disease resistance. Tuscarora - Dark coral pink to 25' tall, beautiful light brown peeling bark, highly disease resistant. Twilight - Dark purple, 15'- 20' tall, vigorous grower, large flowers, fair disease resistance. Native to
Enough about crape myrtles. Let's talk a little about the problems you are about to have. Tomato spotted wilt virus - We are seeing more and more of this virus. The symptoms - young leaves turn bronze and develop small dark spots and tips often dieback. Plants appear stunted and leaves droop suggesting a wilt. Fruit is malformed with raised bull's eye rings. Cure - ain't one! Remove the plant immediately from the garden and spray for insects because it is transmitted by thrips. Other host plants include... peppers, peanuts, lettuce, onion, spinach, squash, potato, pumpkins, anemone, aster, begonia, chrysanthemum, dahlia, nicotiana, peony, geranium, petunia, poppy, snapdragon, sunflower, viola, zinnia...even your weeds - chickweed, clover, dandelion and plantains plus about 200 more. Tomato hornworms - Coming soon to a garden near you! Use Dipel (dust) or Thuricide (liquid) for control. Both of these are very safe to you and beneficial insects. They're two forms of the same bacteria (commonly called BT) that will kill caterpillars, including bagworms. Crabgrass - If you failed to get a pre-emerge down in late winter, then you probably have a bumper crop of crabgrass and other grassy weeds by now. MSMA is an economical, effective way to get rid of grassy weeds. Mow your grass and spray immediately afterward for the best results. Got a few broadleaf weeds also? Then tank mix MSMA with Image. Nutgrass - A little tougher to get rid of than crabgrass with MSMA, so if nutgrass is your only problem, try Sedgehammer. You can use Sedgehammer in the lawn and around established woody ornamentals for nutgrass (nutsedge) control, just do not apply it to the foliage of desirable plants. We had a number of questions about Messenger after the May newsletter so I thought I might talk about it again. When fire blight attacks a plant, it releases a protein called "harpin". Plants can "sense" the harpin protein and immediately begin enhancing their immune system by stimulating growth and thickening their cell walls in self defense. We have a product called Messenger that is harpin protein and it can be used on roses, flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs, trees, aquatic plants, shrubs and turf. One package added to a gallon of water treats up to 1000 square feet for under $4.00. You do preventive maintenance for your car, why not your garden? Got a problem? You can email us at questions@danwestonline.com. DAN WEST GARDEN CENTERS 4763 POPLAR 12061 HWY 64 MEMPHIS, TN 38117 EADS, TN 38028 901-767-6743 901-867-2283 KENNETH MABRY - MANAGER JIM CROWDER - MANAGER |