IndianerFlieder® gives the garden a southern atmosphere. Here you can find out how this attractive flowering shrub is cultivated in our part of the world.
Lilacs are not always the same. A few misunderstandings can arise when exchanging experiences at the garden fence alone. Do you mean the common lilac, which blooms in May and spreads its fragrance, or the one that unfolds its blossoms in summer and attracts countless butterflies? The IndianerFlieder® could possibly also contain the mind game. We want to take a closer look at the latter.
The Indian Lilac® (Lagerstroemia indica) also goes by other names, such as Indian crepe myrtle, southern lilac, Chinese crape myrtle or just simply Lagerstroemia.
You will surely recognize this shrub from vacations in the south. The specimens growing in the southern climes would not survive the frosty winter here. Breeders have made every effort to develop new varieties that are also partially hardy in our latitudes.
Lagerstroemia indica portrayed
The IndianerFlieder® grows into a multi-stemmed shrub, but it can also be raised into a small tree. The ornamental shrub can grow up to 5 meters high. The dark green foliage in summer initially turns bronze in spring.
Similar to the common lilac, the flowers are arranged in panicles and from July to September they enthuse the beholder. The petals of the pink to rose-red but also white and purple pile are gracefully curled. Hence the names crêpe or curled myrtle.
Once you have decided on a Lagerstromia, be sure to ask about its winter hardiness. Depending on the variety, the shrubs tolerate minimum temperatures of just -5° to winterly -15° Celsius.
In rough locations, you should rather decide on a container culture, while in mild wine-growing areas, for example, you can plant the Indian Lilac® outdoors with no worries.
This is how Indian Lilac® thrives best
❍ Location:
Crepe myrtle prefers a spot in the sun both outdoors and in pots.A southern exposure in the garden is suitable.
❍ Bottom:
The Indian Lilac® feels at home in neutral to slightly acidic soil. Only calcareous soil is unsuitable. These conditions apply not only to the field, but also to the pot culture.
One tip: Mix coarse sand with mature compost and garden soil as a substrate for the bucket.
How to properly care for the Indian Lilac®
Casting:
You should always keep your IndianerFlieder® outdoors moist. Therefore, water your shrub regularly but not excessively, waterlogging can lead to root rot.
The top layer of soil should be thumb nail-deep dry. Use rainwater or stagnant tap water for watering.
The same applies to the flowering bush in the tub. Do not water your crape myrtle until the top layer of the substrate has dried a bit.
Fertiliser:
The flowering shrub in open ground is frugal when it comes to fertilization. If you have prepared the soil with plenty of compost or an organic fertilizer when planting the crape myrtle, then there is no need to fertilize later.
Give the potted plant a balcony plant fertilizer with the irrigation water once a week. Fertilizers are stopped in August so that younger shoots can harden sufficiently before winter.
Pruning:
Prune your outdoor crops in spring, from mid-March. First, the parts of the plant that have frozen and died in winter are removed. Then cut the shrub back evenly to a height. As a result, the budding is even and the Indian Lilac® grows into a handsome, bushy shrub. Incidentally, the flowers for the current garden year are developing on the new shoots.
Potted plants are trimmed before being stored in winter quarters. All shoots are cut to one height.
Hibernate:
Provided that the site conditions for outdoor cultivation are suitable, you can protect the Indian Lilac® with a generous layer of mulch during the cold season.
Relocate your container plant to a cool winter quarters from November. This could be the garage, for example. Make sure that the soil in the bucket does not dry out completely during the winter and water the shrub a little from time to time.
From the beginning of April, the potted plant can be relocated from its winter quarters back to the terrace. The place for the plant should necessarily be sunnybe.
Summary:
IndianerFlieder® is widespread south of the Alps. In our region, the flowering shrub in the garden only thrives under mild wintry conditions. It is therefore cultivated as a container plant in harsher regions. The shrub loves a sheltered, sunny spot with normal garden soil. The IndianFlieder® despises calcareous soil. It is watered moderately, but regularly. The tub plant overwinters in cool winter quarters.