Crape myrtle trees are common in the south, and east Tennessee is no exception. Once the calendar turns to June, crape myrtle trees thrive. These trees are known for their handsome trunks with blooms that are a spectacular spectrum of colors, including pink, white, and hot lavender. When the growing season subsides, you’ll need to consider pruning your trees—including any crape myrtles on your property. Keep reading as your tree pruning professionals in Kingsport at Promier Tree explain how to prune your crape myrtle without butchering it.
What’s the best time of year to prune crape myrtles?
You will want to prune your crape myrtles during the late winter—February or even early March. Even if it’s not convenient to prune at that time, the important thing is to make sure pruning is complete before your crepe myrtles begin new growth for the spring. As soon as this new growth begins, those flowers that blossom in the summer will form buds next spring.
Poor pruning of crape myrtles is common
So common, in fact, that it is referred to in the arborist world as “crape murder.” What would be considered a regular amount of pruning for most other varieties of trees constitutes a butchering job for crape myrtles. The truth is that crape myrtles only need occasional pruning.
Topping is, unfortunately, a rather common method of pruning crape myrtles. We have written previously about the dangers of tree topping in Johnson City. It can devastate a crape myrtle. Any new growth at the cut sites lacks the proper structural strength and is more vulnerable to fungus diseases, especially powdery mildew. If poor pruning techniques are performed on the same tree, it develops large, swollen knobs at the cut points.
Only one heavy pruning of crape myrtle can do lasting damage. This is why it’s called “crape murder,” as the tree’s graceful and natural shape is marred for the rest of its life.