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CREPE MYRTLE PRUNING |
Crepe Myrtle Pruning is often overdone. Crepe Myrtles
are the lilacs of the South. Crepe Myrtles provide
a summer-long display of delicate flowers. These small
trees at at their best in sunny locations in hot climates. |
The green seedpods cluster on the tips of crepe
myrtles, making their limbs sag from the added
weight. |
Always
use sharp clippers for pruning. If your trees are
tall, use pole pruners. Most models come with a saw
and a clipping mechanism; a rope activates a cutting
blade, which is perfect for pruning hard-to-reach
branches. When using pole pruners, avoid power lines.
Lopping shears work well cutting intermediate-length
limbs. |
Clip directly behind the seed clusters and new
blooms will quickly appear. |
Make cuts right below the
green seedpods, removing only the very tips of the branches.
Usually the limbs spring back to their normal upright
position once the pods are removed. Many gardeners leave
these round seed capsules on the trees thinking they
are flowerbuds. The seedpods are bigger than the bloom
buds and are also hard and woody.
The removal of seedpods not only raises sagging limbs,
but it also encourages more flowers. All the energies
used to produce seeds can be directed toward flower
production. Trees loaded with seeds can also get too
heavy during hard rains; the added weight of water
may even break branches.
Give your crepe myrtles a lift this summer by removing
the seed clusters. It makes trees look cleaner and
flower more, and it will save you from dodging low
limbs that droop across the landscape. |
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