PRUNING
Extreme pruning practices occur too commonly and are very stressful to the plants, not to mention eye appeal. Large cuts leave the plant open to damage, be it insect, disease or mother nature.
Remember: Take your time and make a plan of attack. If you are in the middle of pruning and you get lost, step back and take a look and then step back in and prune some more.Basic pruning should occur during the late winter and early spring (before new growth begins). In a normal year for the piedmont you are looking at late February to early March. back to the list
The first consideration before pruning is "Why am I pruning?". Don't prune a crape myrtle just because it's time to do it or the folks up the street pruned theirs, that is a poor way to determine your tree's needs. Prune to enhance the health, look and strength of the tree. back to the list
Using pruning to reduce the height of a crape myrtle can create a maintenance nightmare. The plants typically respond to this type of pruning with excessive growth and weak limbs that can easily break under the weight of the summer blooms. Be more selective about which limbs or trunk portion you plan to take out. Stump pruning is recommended in only the most extreme cases. It is very difficult to regain the natural look of the tree with large wound areas at the cut sites. Always selectively remove any dead wood, limbs that are rubbing and take out limbs to open up the trunks so that you can see thought the tree with the limbs above not obscuring the view. back to the list
The most common tools needed for pruning a small tree like the crape myrtle are pruning shears, loppers and a handsaw. Make sure they are sharp and clean. Use soap and water or bleach and water (10% bleach solution) to clean the blades. Sometimes steel wool is needed to clean the blade completely. Make it a rule to practice all safety precautions to prevent injury to you and those around you. back to the list
Can you restore a damaged tree?
Yes, but it's not easy. Limb areas that are over 2 inches in diameter and have been repeated pruned to the same spot year after year will develop swollen areas (often referred to as a knuckle). These knuckles should be removed. Limbs smaller than 2 inches that have been improperly pruned can be corrected by pruning back to a branch break. This is where a limb forks and two or more limbs branch out. If the trees have been cut back to the trunk with a diameter of 4 inches or more the damage will not allow the plant to attain a natural look again. back to the list
