Q&A – My crape myrtle has white patches on the branches. Is this a problem?
Question:
My crepe myrtle has quarter size white patches on the branches, is this anything to worry about? I thought it may be because of all the rain we have had. I have thought about cutting the branches back to the knuckles.
Answer:
It is not possible to tell what the problem is without a picture, but it could be crape myrtle bark scale. You don’t have to cut it off, but you can just treat the scale. If it is scale you can use a systemic insecticide like imidacloprid. The roots will take it into the tree and the insects will eat it and die. Pruning will not help the problem per-say.
Related Videos:
Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Pruning a Crape Myrtle
Related Resources:
Crape Myrtle Culture
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Identification and Control
How Do I Prune Crape Myrtle?
March 27, 2021
My crepe myrtle has quarter size white patches on the branches, is this anything to worry about? I thought it may be because of all the rain we have had. I have thought about cutting the branches back to the knuckles.
Answer:
It is not possible to tell what the problem is without a picture, but it could be crape myrtle bark scale. You don’t have to cut it off, but you can just treat the scale. If it is scale you can use a systemic insecticide like imidacloprid. The roots will take it into the tree and the insects will eat it and die. Pruning will not help the problem per-say.
Related Videos:
Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Pruning a Crape Myrtle
Related Resources:
Crape Myrtle Culture
Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Identification and Control
How Do I Prune Crape Myrtle?
March 27, 2021