These beautiful Crape Myrtle trees are new to me. The are everywhere down here and I even have three in my yard. I'm seeing these beautiful blooms on all, BUT the ones in my yard. I think I have a problem with pests, which I never had up north. I was a naive gardener. Morgan and I bought Japanese Beetle traps yesterday. I'll spare you the gory details but now I know where the term "Beetle Juice" came from!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Crape Myrtle
These beautiful Crape Myrtle trees are new to me. The are everywhere down here and I even have three in my yard. I'm seeing these beautiful blooms on all, BUT the ones in my yard. I think I have a problem with pests, which I never had up north. I was a naive gardener. Morgan and I bought Japanese Beetle traps yesterday. I'll spare you the gory details but now I know where the term "Beetle Juice" came from!
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16 comments:
I'm very familiar with the jap. beetles! I have to say that i hate em! I've trapped them before, but have heard that the traps attract even more to the yard. Don't know if that is good or bad, Attract more, kill more? Who knows what is best! I do know how bad they stink when they are dead...Stinky, stinky, stinky!
Beautiful photo!
That's exactly what I was worried about Hannibal. But it sure feels good to kill them. I emptyed the still living bettles from the "bag-a-bug" bag into a gallon zip-lock bag and laid it in the blazing sun. Well, less that a minute later it was all over for them. We'll see what today brings but yes that stuff really brings them in. It's hard to say what to do but maybe have a yard full of plants that they don't eat. I wonder if there is such a thing!
Do those myrtle smell nice or are they odorless? I loved your butterfly shots from Tuesday.
Those sure are pretty. Are they fragrant?
I'm sorry to hear that you're being overrun with beetles. I'm of no help in that department. They sound nasty though.
I didn't realize that Crape Myrtles don't grow in the northern U.S.
Eve we have 4 Crepe Myrtles in our yard and we love them. We also have alot of Rose of Sharon. Japanese beetles love them. They also love my ferns. Sevin is our friend. Stay cool today. I think you should be having more humidity than us, not that I would be wishing that on you. But seriously the humidity has me stuck inside-fudge cake!!! That means I have to do house work and that does not much appeal to me.
When I was in Tennessee, it was the Redbuds that bloomed in early spring that caught my attention. I don't know if you saw them or arrived too late.
I hope the Japanese beetles don't eat eveything you plant!
I enlarged the photo which brought those lovely frilly petals to my attention. That is a lovely tree. Will it produce anything else later in the year, some fruit or berry or something? I'm curious as to whether it has a fragrance too please?
Better hang the Japanese Beetle traps WAY FAR AWAY from anything you care about, it will attract them for miles, so don't hang it close to anything important in your yard. [Hang them in your neighbors yard. :)] The crepe myrtles are suppose to be trimmed 'late winter', if trimmed too late it will effect your blooms for that year. I also don't have blooms yet, but we are beginning to see them in east Tennessee. Not to worry, they bloom until frost.
Be careful with the placement of the beetle traps. they can indeed attract rather than deter. The Crepe Myrtle is just lovely, what was in the background of your photo?
Yes as Jen says, it could have a nice fragrance Evie.
Thanks for all you tips. Sorry Carla I thought you said you didn't realize they grew in the north...duh!!! I'm a bit of a fast sloppy reader sometimes!
RR I think Sevin is going to be my husband’s best friend too...
Steve the Redbuds were in bloom when I was on my way down here in April...yes they caught my attention! I think I have a number of them here! Will have to wait till next spring.
Jenny and Roy...I didn't get close enough to smell the one I photographed...I'll sniff next time I'm near one.
Thanks Leedra and Julie. I moved the trap way down the driveway. I think I'm going to invest in Sevin.
Julie that tree was in front of a building. I don't remember what that red background was...maybe brick?
I HATE Japanese Beetles. As others have said the traps only attract them so I can't recommend them. We did that once and our backyard became a Japanese Beetle flyway - ick. Sevin dust is what I use. Die beetles, die. (And I say I'm soft-hearted? LOL!!!!)
Oh, BUT I absolutely adore crape myrtles! You are fortunate to have one, or more. When we meet I'll show you how and when to prune them, if you don't already know that is. They're one of my all-time favorite plants!
I, too, learned the hard way that those beetle bags bring beetles you might not have had!! I also use Sevin when I have too!
I think you will like the Crape Myrtle trees..very nice and showey!!
Crape Myrtle trees are so beautiful. I love seeing them. I strongly recommend getting rid of the beetle traps. I did that one year...the smell, the mess was so terrible and they draw everyone else's beetles to your yard and traps. I had more with the traps then without them!
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