Crepe Myrtle Breaking soil

[spunog]

Hello,

Some of my Crepe Myrtle seeds just broke soil. My first success in a new hobby Can this species be kept indoors? I read that it requires consistent cold in winter to maintain dormancy. Does this mean I could keep this guy indoors in summer and outdoors in winter?

At what size should this be removed from the seed tray and placed in its own larger pot ?

Thanks

Spunog

 

[rockm]

They cannot be kept inside at any time of year. They require a temperate climate to grow.Kept inside they will waste away and die.

If you attempt to keep them indoors in the summer, then place them outside in winter, they will die. They require a winter dormancy and dormancy is induced by shortening daylight hours that progress from mid-summer to autumn. Without that gradual preparatory time--five months or so, depending on your location, they will die. If you live in an area with frost and freezing, their death will be almost immediate when placed outside in winter.

 

[jk_lewis]

Unless you live in S. Florida, I assume the seedling is inside. You will need to keep light on it for 13 hours a day. Bottom heat would also help. Your biggest danger over the next couple of months for something this small is fungus diseases, so do NOT overwater.

You can transplant when the seedling has 4-5 leaves. No sooner. You have 5 years before you can make a "bonsai" out of it, and it will have to be outside at all times.

 

[spunog]

I live in Ireland, so you think theres little chance of it surviving no matter what ?

 

[rockm]

Best thing to do is to get them going inside for the next two months, then move them outside permanently.

Crape myrtle can stand freezing temperatures, although some cultivars are hardier than others. If you have temperatures much below 0 C in the winter, you will need to find a place outside to protect them--look up "overwintering bonsai"

 

[milehigh_7]

Mine stay outside year round and our temp range goes from -5c or so to 48c or so. They are tough as nails for me. I even have them come up from seed all over the place.