Why Crape Myrtle isn’t Blooming and How to Make It Flower?

Hey folks! Have you ever heard of the crape myrtle? Crape myrtles have awesome-looking blooms and are really attractive plants. The gardeners might be aware of the fact that the crape myrtle plants are all about their blooms. The crape myrtle has a blooming season when these flowering plants flower abundantly. Do you know Why Crape Myrtle isn’t Blooming? How to make it Flower?

There can be various reasons Why Crape Myrtle isn’t Blooming? Some of them can be that the plant is not getting sufficient sunlight, fertilizing issues, pruning stress and many more explained below.

But what if this plant didn’t flower this time? A great disappointment right!? But worry not being a beginner or human we cannot always understand the plants it takes a lot of practice though. The plants can still be made to flower in various ways.

Why Crape Myrtle isn’t Blooming?

The blooms of crape myrtle appear in the summer heat and need warm conditions. Plants if not getting a good amount of sunlight then the chances are the flowers will not appear. Good sunlight even indirect but for 5-6 hours is sufficient for the crape myrtle plants.

The soil is kept dry and too much sand in the soil can cause plants to show fewer or no flowers. The soil should be moist and well-drained with good fertility. Many times the nutrients like phosphorus, can cause no blooming in crape myrtle.

The plants in the case getting too much nitrogen supply will lead to the formation of too many leaves and in growth but flowering.

Just not this, the plant Crape myrtle also doesn’t show flowers if they are not well pruned. From time to time pruning is needed to make crape myrtle bloom.

Reasons why the Crape myrtle plants are not blooming

1. Getting less or no sunlight

The crape myrtle is growing in a spot that is not getting enough sunlight in a day. The sunlight should be reaching the crape myrtle for at least 5-7 hours a day. The plant or trees if they are getting too much will not bloom and keep growing slowly.

The trees should be planted in the garden in the center or open area. The bud will stay stunted and won’t blossom. The flowers that appear will take a lot of time to open completely.

“Life is too short, grow more and more plants”

– By BonjourGreen

2. Not getting pruned

Irregular pruning or pruning the crape myrtle plants too late can bring no blooming results. The plant will show no flowers if they are not pruned at the right time. Pruning enhances the development and growth and avoids the buds to stay stunted.

The early springtime is considered to be the suitable time when the crape myrtle must be pruned. This is the time when the flowering happens already and the very beginning of the flowering time.

3. Drought-like conditions

The beautiful Crape myrtle trees go into the dormant phase at a fixed time of the year but if the conditions are too dry for a long time then the trees get to the dormant phase quite early.

The crape myrtle trees need moist soil but the dry soil also doesn’t affect them for some time. Prolonged drought-like conditions can lose the chance of flowering in the crape myrtle trees.

4. Due to overcrowding

By overcrowding, we mean that the Crape myrtle trees with their branches can lose a lot of energy, and old branches need to be removed as they cause overcrowding.

The trees shoot will not be getting ample sunlight and air die to which the blooming session might delay the trees.

5. Fertilizing issue

The fertilizer in the soil should be there but many times the fertilizer issue prevails that is ultimately making the Crape myrtle not show flowers.

The soil should be getting a good amount of phosphorus for the appearance of flowers on the crape myrtle trees.

Even if the soil has too much nitrogen that can also affect the trees. More leaves will appear due to nitrogen but the number of flowers will reduce and even no flowers you will get to seen.

6. Pests

Pests can also be the reason that the crape myrtle trees are not showing flowers. Pests can suck in all the energy of the plant and the juice making the buds stunted and even the whole tree.

Pests like aphids, whiteflies, etc are seen to attack the Crape myrtle and make them less blooming than normal cases.

7. Poor soil

If the soil conditions are not good then the roots will not stay healthy which ultimately will affect the whole crape myrtle tree. The soil should have good drainage first and the soil is porous so that roots get good space and air.

The soggy and wet soil brings fungal infections too that affect the roots and get to the plant parts as well through the stem. The crape myrtle plants will flower if the soil has acidic pH if not they will not bloom at all.

8. Cold temperatures

Though these plants are able to withstand the cold weather if the weather is too cold and frosts then the crape myrtle will not bloom.

How to make crape myrtle to flower?

1. Prune the plant at the right time

The old long branches should be pruned off as they block the sunlight and also get too clumsy as they keep on growing.

Pruning should be done at the right time when the new growths have not yet occurred. The summertime is when the buds start to bloom.

2. Use proper fertilizer 

The fertilizer concentration should not be that high in terms of nitrogen. The proper concentration of fertilizer should be added. To enable the crape myrtle flowering make sure the phosphorus level is optimum in the soil.

You can also add the bone meal into the soil to bring the phosphorus level back to the needed concentration.

The mulch if added to the soil will also benefit the roots and the soil to stay like using the shredded wood and the use sawdust layer over the soil. 

3. Use good and quality soil

The soil should be good! The plant will get all the stuff for the body from the soil. Even though there are ample required nutrients in the soil, the plant will be unable to absorb the nutrients until the roots are healthy and the soil is mostly porous. The soil should be well-drained and clean. 

4. Give them a good supply of water 

The supply of water needs to be increased if the crape myrtle trees have gone dormant with the blooming.

The buds will get a boost to open that are not blooming. Watering the soil will remove the drought-like situations that are hindering the tree to show flowers. 

Final words of the context

The Crape myrtle trees, with the scientific name Lagerstroemia, are worth bringing into your garden if they are producing good numbers of flowers. The flowers are pink colored and have surfaces like crepe paper. The leaves are glossy. All this can happen when you give some care to the plants. We hope you like this article and find this helpful. Happy growing and blooming! 

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