above the fold...spilled ink: Don't commit 'crepe murder'

Bad pruning sets crape myrtles back for years

Mandy Catoe
mcatoe@thelancasternews.com

Paul Thompson photo

Spring is in the air and pruners are in hand.
Crape myrtles look a bit scraggly with last year's growth, but before you commit what one local landscaper calls "crape murder," please proceed with caution.
Crape myrtles, a landscaping staple across the South, were introduced to the Palmetto State in the late 1700s by the French botanist Andre' Michaux. The multi-trunked trees have smooth bark and produce a canopy of crepe-like petals in pink, white or purple. They have a long summer blooming period.
David Steele, owner of Landscape Carolina, with over 30 years of landscape experience, witnesses this seasonal slaughter each spring.
"Everyone whacks the top off of 'em every year," he said. "In my trade, we call that crape murder."
Steele said it takes years for the tree to recover and get back into proper shape.
The practice of drastic heading is very stressful and a shock to the plant according to Paul Thompson, regional horticultural expert with the Clemson University Extension Service. It requires a lot of energy for it to recover and regrow.

MURDER!

Correct way

"Topping off is a common, and improper pruning method applied to many trees," Thompson said.
"But you don't see anything that is as brutalized as the crape myrtles."
He said cutting the tops off results in a loss of control over the growth of the tree. The pruning causes an emergency response by the tree. Numerous sprouts, or sucker growth, come back sporadically, depending on where the sunlight shines on the bark.
These long, skinny shoots are very weakly attached to the trunk and will produce a very large flower head at their end. The weight of the flower head creates a droopy limb – a weeping effect.
The risk is that eventually the tree will run out of energy and die. Each drastic pruning demands hard work by the tree to produce new wood and leaves to absorb energy.
If that doesn't do the tree in, the Asian ambrosia beetle just might, Thompson said. The wounded wood creates alcohol compounds that attract the beetles. They introduce a fungus into the tree which kills it down to the ground, he said.
Late winter or early spring is the best time to prune for the finest summer blooms. First, remove any sprouting growth from the ground. Then cut side branches to about a third or halfway up the height of the tree. This is called "limbing up."
Next, cut any dead or crossing branches that detract from the flowing shape of the tree. Cut long branches back to where they are no less than a half inch in diameter. Thinner than that will result in drooping limbs unable to bear the weight of the blooms.
The goal of pruning is to thin out and open up the natural canopy to allow in more sunlight, which will produce more flowers.
Often homeowners struggle with the wrong type of crape myrtle for their needs.
"The first thing to realize is that there are a thousand varieties that will fit just about any space you have in the landscape," Thompson said.
"If you are tired of fighting a tree that wants to grow to 40 feet tall and you are trying to get it down to below 10 feet tall, then it might just be time to get rid of that crape myrtle and get one that you won't have to prune much at all," he said.
For more information on the many varieties of crepe myrtles, contact a local landscaper or call, Thompson, the local county extension agent at 803-684-9919.