Crepe Myrtle Trimming

Crepe myrtles are a staple in most Southern gardens. Brightly colored blossoms cover these trees in the spring and into the summer. With a love for humidity and heat, crepe myrtles are a perfect choice for Florida. These trees grow to 25 feet to 30 feet tall. Appropriate pruning is important because not doing so is often detrimental to the tree’s health and appearance.

Crepe Murder

"Crepe murder" is a common term for a horrifying practice that many homeowners have the habit of doing. The top of the tree is topped, or cut away, leaving only the trunks. Many people use topping to prevent the tree from growing to its potential height which can be unmanageable without professional help. Instead, small shoots form from the stumps which are unattractive and frequently an eyesore in the yard. The shoots are too weak to support the flower blooms and droop over. As a response to the extreme pruning, crepe myrtle blooms generally appear one month later than they should. A topped crepe myrtle also loses significant amounts of nutrient reserves with the removal of large diameter branches.

Before scheduling a tree pruning appointment, it’s crucial to establish objectives for the crepe myrtle. Evergreen Lawn Care can help narrow the trunks to the recommended number, whether three, five, or seven trunks, and ensure adequate spacing. Usually, the center of the tree needs to be thinned to allow sunlight and wind to circulate. Pruning itself follows one of two methods, natural or formal style.

Natural style removes dead or dense branches while maintaining the tree’s natural shape. It leaves the main branches alone to help the tree establish sturdy, thick trunks.

Formal style trains the crepe myrtle to grow in a particular shape and places less emphasis on the inner branches. How the tree is pruned using a formal style depends on your preference of the height and width of the tree.Formal pruning is frequently used with multiple crepe myrtles in a landscape to create a stately and uniform appearance.