Can you plant crepe myrtle seeds?

Question: Can you plant crepe myrtle seeds?

Answer: Yes, you can. There are multiple ways to go about planting crepe myrtle from seed. The first, and most cost-effective option, is to collect the seeds from a mature crepe myrtle plant.

Wait until the end of the blooming season and as the blooms die, the plant will form pods. These pods look like green berries but hold the seeds to the crepe myrtle.

Overtime, the pods grow darker and will dry out as the temperatures drop. Then they’ll open and the seeds will fall out.

There are multiple ways to collect the seeds from the pods. If you see the pods are beginning to open on their own, you can shake them and allow the seeds to fall into a bowl.

If you see the pods forming, but they’re still closed, cut them off the plant. Bring the pods indoors and place them in a bowl of water. In three to four days, the pods should open and drop the seeds.

Whether you’re saving seeds you collected yourself or you purchased crepe myrtle seeds, be sure to keep them cool and moist. You can dampen a paper towel with water, place the seeds on it, and store them in an airtight container in a cool location.

When early spring arrives, it’ll be time to plant. Place the seeds in a grow tray filled with a well-draining growing medium.

Be sure the soil is kept damp by spritzing it with a spray bottle of water. This will provide moisture without oversaturating your seeds.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap to provide a greenhouse effect. Then place the tray in a warm location with plenty of lighting. The space should be around 75-degrees Fahrenheit.

The seeds will need approximately two to three weeks to sprout. During this time keep the soil evenly moist and continue to supply plenty of bright lighting from a grow light or sunny window.

After the crepe myrtle seeds have sprouted and are thriving, wait until they have two sets of true leaves before you begin the hardening off process.

Once the seedlings have been hardened off, transplant them outdoors. Be sure the location receives full sunlight and that you water the plants adequately. Also, fertilize the plants one time per month.

Hopefully this information will help you grow crepe myrtles from seeds and produce abundant beauty around your home while maintaining a budget.

More About Growing Crepe Myrtle

http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/LAGINDA.pdf

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/crape-myrtle/

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C944&title=Crape%20Myrtle%20Culture