Crepe myrtle rooting in water is an efficient and simple technique that helps you to propagate new plants.
With this method, you may grow your beautiful crepe myrtle from the cuttings to add gorgeous and fast-growing flowering plants to your property.
Also, this way is affordable and fast, allowing you to own your favorite plants without burning a hole in your pocket.
This article provides an ultimate guide with detailed steps on propagating your crepe myrtle properly in water. Keep reading for further information!
Crepe Myrtle Rooting In Water: What To Prepare?
When rooting crepe myrtle in water, you must pick the good crepe myrtle shoots for the proper propagation.
After choosing the healthy shoots, prepare the best cuttings for rooting in water. Finally, rooting the prepared crepe myrtle shoots in favorable conditions.
Choosing the Healthy Crepe Myrtle Shoots
Collecting healthy shoots without diseases for good cuttings when propagating your new crepe myrtle is essential. You should select young myrtle stems about ¼ – ½ inch in diameter and 6 – 8 inches long.
Besides, choosing the cuttings from the season’s new growth with pinkish or reddish stem cuttings is advisable. Avoid using old or weak woody shoots that are difficult to take root.
It’s best to choose cuttings without buds and flowers to help direct the energy of myrtle stems for producing the root.
Plus, cuttings about 4 – 6 inches long with a few leaf sets at the tip and 3-4 leaf nodes are suitable for myrtle propagation.
To achieve the best cuttings, prepare the necessary things and seek the favorable environment for them to grow fastest and best.
Preparing the Right Crepe Myrtle Shoots
After choosing the healthy myrtle shoots, you will continue to make the angled and straight cuts under the pair of leaf nodes to get the right cuttings with either a sharp knife, pruner, or clean pruning shear.
Cut off the leaves from half of the myrtle cutting’s bottom for optimal growth, but leave a few leaves at the top.
Also, prevent the cutting’s buds or flowers from hindering the root’s growth by removing them.
Preparing pots with the right material to collect the healthy cuttings and support your crepe myrtle to grow best is necessary.
This preparation allows you to monitor the myrtle growth conditions without hassle.
Look for a sanitized container with fresh water to give your plants favorable conditions to take the healthy roots and grow best.
Rooting Prepared Crepe Myrtle Shoots
In this step, place the pot after rooting your myrtle shoots in a slightly shady, bright area.
It’s better to use a big plastic bag and hold it with a wooden skewer to cover the crepe myrtle shoots without touching the cuttings.
Rooting crepe myrtle cuttings, also the same as rooting peony cuttings, requires moderate temperature, humidity, and bright light.
Also, you should take out the plastic bag and monitor cuttings daily to check if any small roots are shooting out after 3 to 4 weeks, based on the growing and cutting conditions.
It’s necessary to keep cuttings in the rooting pot until next Fall before transplanting your plants into the garden or anywhere you want.
Besides, give your crepe myrtle a spacious location with full sunlight and a fresh environment for the best growth. In favorable conditions, a mature plant can expand their spread to 6 – 20 feet wide.
How Can You Root Crepe Myrtle in Water? Detailed Steps
Follow the detailed steps below to know how to root crepe myrtle without difficulty.
Step 1: Prepare Fresh Water And Container
Look for a container, glass, jar, or pot with the right material and size to make a favorable environment for the healthy development of new plants.
Next, clean the container, jar, or pot you will use to root your crepe myrtle.
Then, pour the proper amount of freshwater into the container and place it at room temperature before rooting the crepe myrtle.
Step 2: Apply Hormone Powder
Double-check the conditions of cuttings to choose the healthy ones with good quality and optimal growing ability.
Add rooting hormone to the lower position at the end of each myrtle cutting to help boost the root-taking process.
This way may increase the success of rooting crepe myrtle in water to give you healthy new plants.
Step 3: Root Crepe Myrtle In Water
Root crepe myrtle in water by putting the healthy cuttings in the freshwater. Yet, it’s necessary to keep the upper leaves above the water surface while submerging the crepe myrtle bottom nodes.
Submerging the whole crepe myrtle in water is not good for healthy growth and might impede the rooting process.
Step 4: Put Crepe Myrtle In Right Place
After rooting the crepe myrtle cuttings in water, choose the right place with favorable light conditions, temperature, and humidity. Place the container in the selected area.
You can put your crepe myrtle near the window for some light, but avoid direct sunlight to protect your plants.
Step 5: Daily Water Replacement
Monitor your crepe myrtle and change the new water every day to keep your cuttings fresher and healthier. This is useful to help protect your cuttings from harmful bacteria, mold, or diseases.
Step 6: Check Rooting Process
Continue checking the crepe myrtle cuttings daily to adjust the water amount or conditions suitable for their growing roots.
After about 3 to 6 weeks, you can give your cuttings more careful observation to determine if they begin to take their new roots.
How Long Do My Crepe Myrtle Cuttings Take To Grow?
When propagating a crepe myrtle, you may wonder how long cuttings will start to take their roots and grow. Normally, they can take from 3 to 6 weeks to grow their roots, as mentioned.
Yet, this time also varies, depending on the conditions of cuttings, the care, temperature, or the surrounding environment.
Thus, some myrtle cuttings may take 3 or 4 weeks only if they are healthy and receive thorough care and protection.
But, some others must take up to 6 or even 8 weeks or longer to develop their root system due to the poorer growing conditions.
Therefore, to reduce the rooting time and allow them to grow better, pick semi-hardwood cuttings with a length of 6 to 8 inches and propagate them in Summer for easy propagation.
After crepe myrtle cuttings grow their roots, you can transplant them into a larger jar or pot or outdoors for the optimal development of new plants.
How To Care Crepe Myrtle Rooting In Water Properly?
Proper care is essential when your crepe myrtle cuttings in water take their roots.
First, you must check the water amount and replace new water daily to keep the cuttings fresh. Aside from water replacement, occasionally mist the myrtle leaves to keep them hydrated.
Besides, placing the crepe myrtle cuttings in clean, well-ventilated, without direct sunlight is necessary to help avoid stressing young plants and keep them away from harmful bacteria, mold, and poor growth.
Also, it’s ideal to maintain the development of cuttings at the right temperature, ranging from 65 °F to 75°F.
In addition, monitor your cuttings frequently to know when they take new roots.
This helps you move your crepe myrtle into a new environment, such as a larger jar, glass, or pot, to ensure healthy and stable growth of your rooted cuttings.
Troubleshooting Crepe Myrtle Rooting In Water Problems
Although propagating crepe myrtles in water is simple and reliable, you must still know how to solve the popular issues to help your young plants thrive best.
One of the common problems you must encounter is that your cuttings don’t take their roots. This may be due to not changing the new water daily.
Thus, freshwater replacement is the best solution to troubleshoot this problem.
Besides, you may check the water conditions to determine if the water amount is suitable for cuttings to start growing or if the water is clean enough to keep your myrtle cuttings healthy.
Once you see the wilted or yellow leaves, the water may have a problem. Consider using pond water or rainwater as an alternative.
In addition, remove the defective cuttings and the old water, and clean the container, jar, or glass when you detect the development of mold or harmful bacteria in your cuttings.
FAQs
When Is The Best To Propagate Crepe Myrtle?
The Summer months, from May to August, are the best time to grow your new crepe myrtle. Use semi-hardwood cuttings to take new growth to harvest the vigorous flowering plants.
If you miss the Summer months to propagate crepe myrtle, collect the healthy cuttings and wait until the weather becomes warm to grow them.
The early morning is the best time to propagate the myrtle cuttings as this time ensures the highest moisture for cuttings and allows them to get successful rooting.
How Can You Take Cuttings From Crepe Myrtle?
You should choose many small branches with sufficient leaves to make multiple myrtle cuttings.
Besides, use softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings to increase the rooting success when you want to propagate your plants in Summer.
Where Should You Cut Crepe Myrtle For The Best Results?
It’s best to trim off the ends of the healthiest myrtle branches with a length of 4 – 6 inches and a diameter of ¼ – ⅓ inches.
Also, you should avoid taking cuttings with buds or flowers on them. If the cuttings have blooms or buds, remove them.
Taking the myrtle cuttings close to the main branches with multiple leaves and about 3-4 nodes is ideal.
Conclusion
The above is a complete instruction for crepe myrtle rooting in water that is easy to do in several steps.
Select the healthy myrtle cuttings to get the best results, and prepare a clean container with fresh water to root the crepe myrtle.
Together with rooting your cuttings in water, give them proper care.
This includes placing them in areas with favorable conditions, monitoring them daily, and altering the new water every day to help them be fresh and grow best.
