Pocomoke Crape Myrtle for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on November 4, 2022

Planting instructions

You can plant a Pocomoke Crape Myrtle Tree by digging a hole in the ground that is as deep as the root ball is tall or by planting it in a medium to large garden container. In either case, the soil in which this plant grows should be slightly acidic and well-draining. However, this plant can adapt well to many soil types, including clay, sand and loam. You should also select a growing area that receives at least six hours of sunlight a day if you want your Pocomoke Crape Myrtle to perform at its best.

Watering and nutrients

During the first few months of growth, you should water your Pocomoke Crape Myrtle Tree about twice per week or more. After that, you can water this shrub about once per week during spring, summer and fall. Alternatively, you can set your watering frequency based on soil observations. If you choose this route, you should water this plant whenever you notice the first few inches of soil have dried out. Fertilizing for this plant is straightforward, as all you’ll need to do is apply a balanced fertilizer once per year in spring.

Pollination

The Pocomoke Crape Myrtle Tree has an excellent ability to attract many lovely pollinators to your garden, including honey bees and other insects. This plant blooms in mid-summer with many flowers and is also a self-fertile plant, meaning that you need only one to conduct pollination successfully. However, those who grow the Pocomoke Crape Myrtle Tree rarely concern themselves with pollination since the fruits of this plant are neither commonly eaten nor do they have ornamental value.

Pruning

The ideal time to prune a Pocomoke Crape Myrtle is during late winter and early spring. Since these plants set their flower buds on new growth, pruning at this time means that you won’t need to worry at all about removing the coming season’s blooms. However, pruning for shape is often not needed for the Pocomoke Crape Myrtle as it develops an attractive rounded form on its own and does not grow aggressively enough to crowd or outcompete other plants in your garden.

Pests, diseases and animals

There are several disease threats that most crape myrtles face. Many of the most harmful of these diseases are caused by a fungus, including black spot and powdery mildew. Thankfully, the Pocomoke Crape Myrtle Tree is very resistant to powdery mildew compared to other crape myrtle varieties. However, this plant remains vulnerable to pest infestations. Some of the most common insects that may harm this plant are scale insects and aphids, but Japanese beetles and ambrosia beetles can cause issues too.

Achieving maximum results

Overall, the Pocomoke Crape Myrtle has decent cold hardiness for a crape myrtle. However, when this plant grows at the northern end of its natural range, including hardiness zones five and six, it can experience winter dieback. If this occurs, then you should simply prune out the damaged parts of the plant when you perform your annual pruning in late winter or early spring. Regardless of cold exposure, you may also want to perform an additional pruning later in summer to deadhead the spent flowers and encourage future blooms.

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