It may not be spring yet, but we are already doing spring cleaning, pruning crepe myrtles, trimming pampas grasses, monkey grasses, trimming hedges etc. Just waiting for lawn mowing season. We are so ready to for that grass to turn green so we can do what we do best: lawn mowing. But before we get to the lawn mowing season, we have to address one of our biggest dilemmas: crepe murder.
There is a very popular pruning method out there for Crepe Myrtles that is known in the professional lawn care world as "crepe murder.” This is what you see 90% of Crepe Myrtles looking like in the spring, when they’re cutdown to the nubs. it might look nice and uniform and clean, but it’s terrible for the tree.
Now a quick disclaimer: We do sometimes trim Crepe Myrtles this way, but only at the request of the customer. Because while we may advise on the proper pruning method, we will still do what the customer requests.
What is the proper way to prune this popular tree? Well the hint is in the words “prune” and “tree.” What you have to realize is that Crepe Myrtles are not a bush, which is how they are typically trimmed; they are a tree, which is how they must be treated.
When pruning a tree, it’s not proper to cut all the branches off back to the trunk. You prune away the unhealthy, unnecessary, and unbecoming branches. We will attach picture examples of an improperly and properly trimmed Crepe Myrtles at the end of this article, but here are a few key steps and tips for pruning the proper way.
trim away sucker growths on the trunk, from the ground up to the where the branches start
trim away any branches that are not straight and may be curving in strange directions.
trim all branches that are not growing in an upward desired direction as well as any branches that are touching, or less than about a pinky finger's width. The idea is to get it spacious and uncrowded enough where a bird could fly through the middle of it.
If this is all confusing, and hard to understand, then just call the professionals here at Cutting Edge Lawn Care. We love to help people get the landscaping and pruning they desire and deserve out of their lawn care service. Please check out the pictures below for visual examples. (left) improper (right) proper.
