Why do crepe myrtles lose their bark

Chamberbitter is a summer annual and it grows in abundance in flower beds, lawns, cracks in the concrete and flower pots. As is usual with most problem weeds, it is a heavy seed producer. If you look on the back of the leaflets you will see a row of what looks like a seeds along the stem. Those are actually seed pods and inside of every seed pod is six seeds.

You can begin to understand why you see so many of these weeds. Since chamberbitter is an annual plant, the plant dies at the end of the growing season and is regenerated next year from seed.

The normal pre-emerge chemicals that we use in flower beds are not great on this weed. The best method of control is to pull the existing plants up by hand now. They pull up very easily.

Be sure to put every rouged plant in the garbage can. This will help to eliminate the seed source. If you let plants fall to the ground, you are just reseeding the weed. Next, apply a heavy layer of mulch. The best and easiest control is to block any direct sunlight from the seed.

Mulching will block sunlight and prevent seed germination. If you have a fallow area, you can use a glyphosate herbicide but this is a non-selective herbicide that will kill whatever you spray. It was growing fine, then I noticed this morning all of the bark is peeling off. Is it dying? Should I spray it? What have I done wrong? Precious in Pine Bluff. Answer: Don't worry, my Precious.

You've done right by asking me. There is nothing wrong with your crepe myrtle. As all crepe myrtles grow, they shed last year's bark in summer, often revealing colorful, mottled bark beneath. In this regard, crepe myrtles are like snakes -- except, of course, that they don't slither on their bellies, tempt humans in the Garden of Eden, and women like them.

When I cut hydrangea blooms for bouquets, most of the flowers go limp within a day. The leaves don't wilt, just the blooms.

Is it the weather or what? Answer: Nope, not the weather. The problem seems to be air getting inside the hollow stems and preventing the uptake of water. So try this. In fact, it is this shedding that makes the crepe myrtle such a valuable asset in terms of your landscaping. The peeling bark's coloration is quite vibrant and unique, with the shedding behavior giving the trunk of the tree an attractive striated appearance.

It is also not uncommon for crepe myrtles to lose their leaves. They are deciduous trees so they will naturally shed all of their leaves each winter. However, if your crepe myrtle loses all of its leaves and begins shedding bark at an unnatural time such as before the fall or winter , you need to take action.

If your crepe myrtle is losing bark, thoroughly examine the tree. According to the University of Arkansas , crepe myrtle bark scale is a common problem that can cause both leaf and bark loss. However, it's new to the United States and still being studied.

Another issue that can cause leaves to drop and bark to peel in excess is a fungal infection.