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Planting Crapemyrtle in Wood Chip Piles: Nitrogen Management

Q: Can I plant a crapemyrtle in a pile of pine chips instead of removing them?

A: The tree will suffer for years. Decomposing chips tie up nitrogen, yellowing the plant. Remove as many chips as possible, then fertilize with slow-release product (Osmocote, Dynamite) at planting. Feed with water-soluble fertilizer every two months during growing season to support both fungi and tree.

About Gardening: Spring Maintenance for Venus Flytraps: Leaf Pruning, Flower Management, and Cold Storage Tips; Early Spring Lawn Care Guide for Northern Illinois; Bonsai Soil Care: Repotting Schedule for Indoor Trees; Crapemyrtle Bark Scale: What We Know; Attracting Kingsnakes: Provide Food, Shelter, Mates; Dwarf Crape Myrtles: 'Chickasaw', 'Pocomoke', Petite Series; Are Any Crapemyrtles Fragrant? (Correction: Some Are!); Growing Plumeria (Frangipani) from a Cutting: Care, Dormancy, and Blooming Tips; Winter Care for Fall-Planted Bearded Iris; Growing Cleome (Spider Flower): Self-Seeding Beauty with Management Tips

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