Your crape myrtles worked hard all summer, blooming through triple-digit Texas heat while other plants gave up. Now that fall is here, they need one simple job from you to stay strong through winter.
Skip it, and a surprise freeze or dry spell can leave you with damaged roots and weak spring blooms. The good news is that this task takes very little time and costs almost nothing.
1. Deep Watering and Mulching the Root Zone
Picture a blue norther blowing into Dallas or San Antonio overnight, dropping temperatures 40 degrees by morning. A crape myrtle sitting in bone-dry soil takes that hit much harder than one with moist, insulated roots.
Dry ground loses heat fast, while damp soil holds warmth and can help shield roots from freeze damage.
That is why the one task that matters most this fall is a deep watering followed by a fresh layer of mulch. Texas falls are often dry, and many yards head into winter thirsty after a long summer of watering limits.
Give each tree a slow, deep soak with a soaker hose or a gently trickling garden hose for about 30 to 60 minutes, aiming to wet the soil 12 inches down.
Once the ground is moist, spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded hardwood, pine bark, or native mulch out to the edge of the canopy if you can. Keep it pulled back a few inches from the trunks so bark stays dry and healthy.
Skip the tall mulch volcano, which can invite rot and pests.
Plan to repeat the deep soak about every two to four weeks during dry stretches, and always water a day or two before a hard freeze is forecast. Here is a bonus: put away the pruning shears.
Heavy fall cuts, often called crape murder, can push tender growth that freezes, so save any light shaping for late winter.