Prune Crepe Myrtle Now?

[bobkatbf]

Is this an okay time to prune Crepe Myrtles?

[Tony M]

I would tell you it's never the time to prune crepe myrtles. This is a practice that got started by landscapers to keep their crews busy in the winter.
Both the experts in North Texas, Howard and Neil Sperry don't recommend pruning them. If you don't know what you are doing you can prune too far down on the branches and literally ruin the plant for life.
Just look at a severely pruned myrtle in the winter and you can see where it has been badly pruned. One single branch will have 4-6 little branches growing above the cut. That will never change.
If you must do something, prune the seed heads off and toss them in the compost. Also, you can cut the branches coming up from the root and remove and branches that are rubbing each other or the house.
Tony M

[Billusa99]

And now for something completely different.

I have 16 lovely ones, 10 years old, on my corner parkway. They are all 10-14ft tall, pruned since day 1 as trees rather than bushes. I prune the tops... they run high like crazy... and a lot of shooters every year at this time. This is the best time to do it, but I have also done it in June, with no issues... ever.

Given a healthy organic program, crapes are almost indestructable. Go for it. Simply search on "crape myrtle" here and see what the past feedback has been from tons of people here.

And with all due respect, who, on this site, gives a hoot about "Chemical" Sperry?!" :lol:

[Tony M]

Bill-
I don't give a hoot about Sperry but I don't know who bobkatbf who asked the question is, and he may.
My point was there are few things Howard and Sperry agree on and both agree that pruning crape myrtles is a bad idea.
Apparently you don't give a hoot about Howard's advice or you would stop pruning yours.
They are your bushes and you can do whatever you want. May I ask why you are trimming them? Are you trying to keep the height at a certain level?
Tony M

[bobkatbf]

I don't like Sperry either.
I like them to be small trees rather than shrubs.

[Billusa99]

Tony M wrote: Bill-
Apparently you don't give a hoot about Howard's advice or you would stop pruning yours.

Well now, Tony, calm down, eh. And why would I stop? It's rather invoved, so please bear with me.

You know, this is a great forum and I was one of the first to join last March, and this is the first time I have ever heard such a statement about not pruning crapes. And, if Howard said it, it certainly ain't readily searchable here, nor have I heard it in 8 years of listening. And, if it was, he is not the keeper of my crapes. Nor does he always know what's best. Does he have good opinions - yes. Does he encourage feedback based on experience here - yes. Has there ever been any feedback about NOT pruning crapes in the past year on this board, other than the past 5 days - no. And I have certainly given much welcome crape help before... search it.

Soo, again: Bobkatbf, since you want that shape, go ahead and prune. Feel free to PM me and I will gladly send you my address so you can see what 10 years worth of care can do. I get comments constantly how lovely they look.

I stand by my experiential feedback... and I'm done with this thread. :?

[Tony M]

Aw, comon Bill, I was just getting started.
I bet yours do look nice and I would like to see them myself someday.
Here's the rub with pruning. Many people, maybe you since I don't know, cut the long beautiful branches off at about 6 ft. This causes a flush of new growth next spring at that juncture. So now you have a beautiful branch that looks like a coat rack with 5-10 stems coming out of one branch. Once you do this the tree can never recover the original look.
If you do want to know what Howard says, look on page 20 in Plants of the Metroplex 3. He says, "do not trim back in winter...
But, I respect your thoughts. Howard does not live in your house and work in your garden.
See ya at the show I hope, look for me in the Soils Alive booth.
Tony M

[angler]

Proper pruning techniques (crape myrtles too!)

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/pruning/pruning.html

Hope this helps clear the air a little

[Nadine]

Several years ago, before becoming enlightened about "The Natural Way", my lawn guys pruned my crepe myrtles. :( (They are in upright tree form). The blooms on it the following season were shamefully sparse. :oops: Before any foliage started growing on them again, I felt like I had an "Adams Family" yard. :cry:
There are various types of crepe myrtles. Some in compact bush form and some that grow in an upright tree form. :wink:

[OrByNa]

I have to throw in my two cents on this one:
For those who want a 10 foot high ornamental use another plant besides crepe myrtle, most of which want to be 15 feet tall or taller. Do we need to go so far as to post pictures of how ghastly crepe myrtles look after their tops have been pruned? From time to time some of my clients won't let me design in crepe myrtles because of the bare winter look as it is, much less when they are butchered.
Billusa99: do whatever you choose with your own plants and if excessive height is hitting the eaves of your roof or some other obstruction I may partially agree. But for your 16 plants I can show you 160 beautiful specimens that have never been given a flat top. Why would you spend the time and effort to do this every year on 16 plants when it is not even necessary! What a beating! You must have a lot more time than I do. And if the vocal majority is not enough for you, why don't you contact Carl Whitcomb, Ph.D. up in Oklahoma through lacebarkinc.com and ask him what he thinks of pruning the tops of crepe myrtles. He has grown thousands of crepe myrtles and has disproven the myth of pruning this ornamental plant.

[Billusa99]

Angler:
good post... I had not seen that one but had seen similar... thanks! :wink:

OrByNa:
Where/when did I say I flat top them?
Where/when did I say that I do this every year?
Where/when did I say I "prune the tops" and where did I recommend that?

So, relax... and by the way, I estimated wrong... the shortest is 14ft and the tallest is 17... my bad! 8)

See here -- as they said 40 years ago this week in The Beatle's days -- the fabulous mop tops:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=774071

Also, I'm sorry the 70 year old American Elm, one of few left alive in DFW of its stature, is in the way in Pic 1... it's been pruned too, time to time.

(And, my coatrack is by my back door, and the only thing I beat is my rug.)

Cheers~! :wink:

[jrosto]

Bill;

Thanks for the pictures. You have a very beautiful front yard :D

[dcluck]

I so miss the old neighborhood.. :( Great pictures, Bill! Your Crepe Myrtles look splendid.

~Dave

[Longtalltechsan]

Well it is obvious you want to keep the height down to a certain height. I bet you have what Tony described on the ends of many of your branches Billusa. I bet they look like little witches brooms. I almost puke everytime I see someone topping a crape myrtle or any other tree for that matter. Whoever invented, although probably already dead, should be shot. This interrupts the natural growing habits of the tree. A crape myrtle tree is just that, a tree. You can get smaller bush varieties, but to top a tree is wrong. It is obvious that you are totally disregarding Howards advice and going on your own, which is fine b/c like you said, they are your trees. But for God's sakes, stop topping them.

[dcluck]

Did you actually look at the pictures he posted of his crape myrtles? No witches brooms there.

~Dave