Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Crape Myrtle pruning
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Old 11-02-2013, 08:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CFrance View Post
BTK, for those of us with no common sense and little knowledge of what to do with 9a plants, what is crape murder? I have a feeling that is what my landscaper is suggesting. He said to trim everything back to 6 feet (it's a new tree) so it will bush out next season. That would mean leaving about four inches of every single branch. Is that called pollarding?

What would the alternative form of trimming involve?
This is crape murder. It results in weak branches and a deformed tree. Only trim the last third of any branches, or, as BTK advises, nothing thicker than a pencil. It will result in a full crown with bountiful blooms. Note that none of TV crape myrtles are trimmed excessively.
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