Sioux Crape Myrtle for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on June 28, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your Sioux crape myrtle in well-draining soil where it will receive at least six hours of sun a day. Unpot your plant, and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the plant in the hole, spreading out the roots. While holding it upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth.

Watering and nutrients

Water newly-planted crape myrtles several times a week, until you see robust new growth starting to appear. Then cut back to once a week waterings, unless you’re experiencing drought-like conditions. To determine if a mature tree needs water, check the soil 2 inches below the surface. If it’s dry, give your plant a drink. Feed your Sioux crape myrtle in spring with a product that has a higher percentage of nitrogen, such as a 20-10-10 fertilizer.

Pollination

Crape myrtles are self-fertilizing, which means a single plant has both male and female reproductive organs on it. Various insects, including bees and wasps, pollinate the flowers, leading to small seed pods that turn brown and dry out before falling from the tree.

Pruning

Monitor your Sioux crape myrtle and prune out dead, broken, or diseased branches whenever you see them. Prune for shape and size in late winter. You can prune out all but one dominant trunk so that your plant will assume a tree-like shape or leave the four or five strongest trunks, pruning out weaker ones, and let your crape myrtle achieve a bushier shape. It’s also a good idea to remove low-growing lateral branches. Crape myrtles bloom on new wood, so keep your tree well trimmed to ensure good blossoming.

Pests, diseases, and animals

The Sioux crape myrtle is a hearty plant that is not susceptible to pests or diseases. There is, however, an insect called the crape myrtle aphid that is commonly seen on these plants. Release beneficial insects such as ladybugs to counter them, or use horticultural oil or neem oil. Powdery mildew is a disease that is common with crape myrtles, although the Sioux crape myrtle has some resistance. Avoid planting your tree where it is consistently damp or there is poor circulation. Remove any branches that are coated with the white or gray powdery growth.

Achieving maximum results

There are several schools of thought on pruning your crape myrtle. If you wish your plant to become a windbreak or privacy screen, keep pruning to a minimum, taking off only diseased or dead wood. If you’re hoping for maximum blooms, cut back more aggressively. Flowers occur on new wood, so cutting back old wood before the buds set in early winter should lead to voluminous flowering. You can also lop off top branches if you wish to control the growth of your crape myrtle. A mature tree that is well cared for may achieve a height of up to 20 feet, but a shorter appearance is possible by pruning carefully each year.

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