Hey all. New to the forum, new to gardening. I think I asked this question in the wrong forum, as I didn't get any answers lol.

I want to plant some crape myrtle trees along my back property line.

I would love to also have dwarf pampas grass in front of the crape myrtle.

Is there any issue with doing so?

Also, I have several hollow oak trees that would be in front of the crape myrtles. Would they shade the crape myrtles too much? From what I understand, crape myrtles need a lot of sunlight.

I think it depends upon how much shade the trees produce. The Crape Myrtles will definitely do best in full sun.

porkpal said:I think it depends upon how much shade the trees produce. The Crape Myrtles will definitely do best in full sun.

Thank you. They will probably be in more shade than they need to.

You also need to be careful where you place the crepe myrtles because if you let them grow naturally - as they should be allowed to do - they can turn into some pretty big trees. I have one that is at least 20-25 feet tall, with a single trunk that is at least a foot in diameter. That one is probably 30 years old though, and many don't get quite that big. But, I have another that is at least 25 years old and stands about 15-20 feet high, with a trunk diameter around 6 inches.

I've included a pic of the base of the biggest one I have just to give you an idea of the size some or all of yours could eventually get to be. Doesn't show the canopy (sorry) but the pic wasn't taken for that purpose.

All I have ever done with my crepe myrtles is to remove the saplings that grow up at the base every year. If you don't they will turn into multiple-trunked trees.

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post so I'm not sure if I'm doing itright. I'm looking for help treating my red rocket crape myrtle, which I am ambitiously growing in zone 10 on west coast. The tops of the leaves on my tree are green and healthy, but the underside's have tiny black spots. It doesn't look precisely like any of the photos I have seen for Cercospora, which seems to impact the top of the leaves as well. It doesn't kill the tree, but it can eliminate blooming and cause all the leaves to fall off in late summer. I'd appreciate any suggestions for the most efficacious treatment. Immunization, copper fungicide, and neem oil don't seem to have much of an impact. Perhaps once the spots appear, they are largely irreversible? I have attached photos of the spotted underside of a leaf and the healthy looking top side of the leaf as well.

Also, in reply to hippilongstocking's original post, I would say that the more sun you give your crape myrtles, the more vibrant, the colors going to be when they bloom, especially for the reds, which is what I mostly grow.