Damaged wax myrtle
 

I live in zone 7 and have a wax myrtle tree that was damaged by a
tornado. A very large section had to be removed from the middle. I
don't know what will happen if we cut the tree almost all of the way
back. Any tips on how to get the form back? It is about 12 feet tall
and 8 years old.

robv60 wrote:

I live in zone 7 and have a wax myrtle tree that was damaged by a
tornado. A very large section had to be removed from the middle. I
don't know what will happen if we cut the tree almost all of the way
back. Any tips on how to get the form back? It is about 12 feet tall
and 8 years old.

As you probably know, wax myrtle grows fast. Cut it back,
wait for the new growth, and after a couple of years, prune
selectively to get the shape you want.

To get the best growth, water it if you have a dry period.
Since your plant has an established root system, I wouldn't
fertilize (unless you soil has known deficiencies) -- wax
myrtle fixes its own nitrogen, so fertilizer should be
unnecessary.

Mike
On the North Carolina coast - Zone 8a
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