Q: Please tell me how and when to feed and care for crepe myrtle.
A: The crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is an interesting woody Asian tree/shrub that grows well throughout the southern US. It does best in a loam/clay soil and needs regular watering.
By this I mean, every 7 to 14 days in the summer to a depth of 24 to 36 inches. In the spring and fall, water every 10 to 21 days and in the winter water every 14 to 21 days.
Fertilization can be done once each spring with a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or you can use organic products such as composted manure. Make sure you water right after you apply the fertilizer.
In any case, a one to two inch layer of bark mulch over the root zone (being careful to keep it away from the trunk) will provide some protection for the roots from hot temperatures and help keep the root zone moist longer.
Some advocate for renovation pruning in the winter (called crepe murder by others) but this is hard on these plants so I recommend minimal pruning to remove dead and broken limbs, crossing and rubbing branches, and shape as needed.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to
