Crapemyrtle – Transplanting Root Sprouts

Q: I have new crepe myrtles that have sprouted up a few feet from the main tree. How do I transplant them to other areas of my yard?

A: I think you’ll find that the new sprouts are attached to your main tree by a finger-sized root. If you dig it up, you’ll discover that the sprout has few roots of its own.

Why should it grow roots? It’s getting all it needs from the bigger crapemyrtle growing beside it. You need to force it to grow a bigger root system.

Use a trowel to dig beside a sprout and find the connecting root. Clip it with hand pruners. Leave the sprout in place until next fall and transplant it, with its new roots, then.