[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee

I, too, hate to see Crepe murder and, unfortunately, I am surrounded by it! However, I have three Crepe Myrtles that have never been murdered, just trimmed of their old seed pods. One is a Natchez which is now about 30ft tall and is just a beautiful ornamental shade tree and two much smaller bush Myrtles.

We did have the Natchez professionally pruned last spring and I just love the shape of it now. The Arborist took out all the inner small branches and just left the main branches which opened it up into almost a shade umbrella.

You sound like you found someone who knows exactly what to do with crepe myrtles.

If you remember who it was that did right by your Natchez,
I think it would be helpful to pass on the person's name and number.

Unfortunately, most residents don't know the name of the type of crepe myrtle they're planting.
If they did, it would be helpful to them.
Also unfortunately, in new construction, the landscapers (or whatever they are?),
often plant much too close to the house, for the type or variety of crepe myrtle they have.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Robinson

You sound like you found someone who knows exactly what to do with crepe myrtles.

If you remember who it was that did right by your Natchez,
I think it would be helpful to pass on the person's name and number.

Unfortunately, most residents don't know the name of the type of crepe myrtle they're planting.
If they did, it would be helpful to them.
Also unfortunately, in new construction, the landscapers (or whatever they are?),
often plant much too close to the house, for the type or variety of crepe myrtle they have.

Yes, Madelaine, could you please name the arborist? We have two beautiful crepe trees that could use a professional shaping, but I have been reluctant to call someone for fear they would "murder" them.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Yes, Madelaine, could you please name the arborist? We have two beautiful crepe trees that could use a professional shaping, but I have been reluctant to call someone for fear they would "murder" them.

I have been using Tree Frog, otherwise known as Kanani Morris. He has done some great work for me over the years, but when I tried to contact him early this spring there was no answer. He may no longer be here in TV.

Just recently, on the recommendation of Garden Club North, I called a really nice young man, Brian Stanage licensed arborist (352-636-3527) to look at a Florida Flame Maple we have. He is very busy, but came and looked and told me to leave the tree alone for now and he would be back in the fall after it loses it's leaves. Nice young man. I was impressed and it's hard to impress me!!!!

Perhaps someone on here knows whether Tree Frog has gone. I do know he was getting more and more work in the Orlando area. He did great work, not cheap, but so worth it.

[Madelaine Amee]

Back to original subject: Crepe Myrtles.

I knew nothing about this tree until I was an out patient at Mayo in Jacksonville for three years. During the time I was back and forth I used to get lunch and sit on their patio. They have a beautiful sitting area and the main planting is their Myrtles. They are absolutely huge, almost as tall as the building and beautifully shaped. They look like ornamental living umbrellas. That is when I fell in love with Myrtles. Mine is about 9 or 10 years old now and I just love it. It is my back patio shade tree, but it is really dirty once it starts to drop it's seed pods. If you are not up to sweeping your patio once a day it is not the tree for you!

My other half does not like it as much as I do because of the mess~

[Doug526]

Thank you. I watched the video and it is very informative.
Have a Great week...😎

[sldsld]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

washed down by a glass of red wine, I trust?

As my very good Parisian friend always said, "Red wine goes with everything"!!!

[GypsyBuddy]

The original article in Southern Living back in the 90's called it "Crape Murder". There are varieties of this tree that do not grow tall if it's height people are trying to control, but the severe cutting is shocking to see. The resulting branches will be spindly and easily broken with bad weather. The key is to prune branches that are growing TOWARD the center of the tree and leave the ones that grow outward. It saddens me each year when I see these trunks hacked off at the knuckles. The end result is not beautiful.

[checkman]

So wrong. There is no wrong way to trim it. I have over 100 crepe myrtles on my other property up in Ocala. Been cutting them over 20 years. Here is what I have learned.
If you don't trim them yearly, the branches grow tall and stringy by the second year.
You can't hurt them by any way you cut them. I've trimmed them with hand cutters and also a small chainsaw.
You can't hurt them if you chop them off at any length but keep in mind if you leave the knob it will be fuller.
You can trim them any time.....they are like a weed...you can not kill it. I have trimmed them before winter, during winter, spring...doesn't matter, though I usually cut them in March. I've tried to kill one by cutting it to the ground, but it doesn't work.
So do your thing and enjoy the results.

[IADCathy]

Thanks for this!!!! My husband and I did notice other neighbors' crepe myrtles and wondered if what they did is what we should be doing because ours never seem to have an abundance of flowers. We will follow the Grumpy Gardner's advice!

Thanks again, Cathy

[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by checkman

So wrong. There is no wrong way to trim it. I have over 100 crepe myrtles on my other property up in Ocala. Been cutting them over 20 years. Here is what I have learned.
If you don't trim them yearly, the branches grow tall and stringy by the second year.
You can't hurt them by any way you cut them. I've trimmed them with hand cutters and also a small chainsaw.
You can't hurt them if you chop them off at any length but keep in mind if you leave the knob it will be fuller.
You can trim them any time.....they are like a weed...you can not kill it. I have trimmed them before winter, during winter, spring...doesn't matter, though I usually cut them in March. I've tried to kill one by cutting it to the ground, but it doesn't work.
So do your thing and enjoy the results.

Sorry, dear sir, but you are spewing incorrect information.
You are pretty much correct when you say you can't kill them,
but how to prune them and when to prune them matters.

Your advice is completely opposite of what professionals teach, say and do.
I, as a Certified Master Gardner, will also tell you that you are giving out bad information.

There's an old saying that "Love is Blind."
Well, that may very well be the case with you over that 20 year period you mentioned.
You were blinded by the love of your crepe myrtles and could not see them in an objective light.

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Robinson

Sorry, dear sir, but you are spewing incorrect information.
You are pretty much correct when you say you can't kill them,
but how to prune them and when to prune them matters.

Your advice is completely opposite of what professionals teach, say and do.
I, as a Certified Master Gardner, will also tell you that you are giving out bad information.

There's an old saying that "Love is Blind."
Well, that may very well be the case with you over that 20 year period you mentioned.
You were blinded by the love of your crepe myrtles and could not see them in an objective light.

Mother Nature never intended them to be pruned at all so any method is incorrect.

[Mrs. Robinson]

Originally Posted by Rapscallion St Croix

Mother Nature never intended them to be pruned at all so any method is incorrect.

When a crepe myrtle is tree-like, as opposed to a shrub, any branches that grow inward or are touching other branches should be removed.
Also, if the branches are too dense in the middle, some of them should be thinned out so that more light/sun can penetrate through the branches.

What I've stated above is correct and just for the record,
where did you read that Mother Nature said crepe myrtles should never be pruned???

Yeah. That's what I thought!

[Northerner52]

Thanks for this education. I am the new owner of a crepe myrtle that came with my house. A landscaper did tell me to lop ff the top. I won't now. What about the new growth growing from the ground???

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by Northerner52

Thanks for this education. I am the new owner of a crepe myrtle that came with my house. A landscaper did tell me to lop ff the top. I won't now. What about the new growth growing from the ground???

There is an abundance of information on line on how to grow, prune and shape various Crepe Myrtles. You probably should first start by finding out whether you have a bush or a tree myrtle (all this information you can find online), there is a big difference in how you can shape a tree from a bush type. Tree myrtles like mine (White Natchez) get treated entirely differently from my bush myrtles and even my two bush myrtles need different pruning techniques to keep them looking their best. If you drive through the various shopping centers in TV you will find myrtles everywhere, in all different colors and shapes, and that should give you a start as to what you have. Tree myrtles grow in an entirely different way to bush types.

The one thing I would emphasize is please do not lop off the top because you are never ever going to get rid of those really ugly knuckles afterwards.

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Robinson

When a crepe myrtle is tree-like, as opposed to a shrub, any branches that grow inward or are touching other branches should be removed.
Also, if the branches are too dense in the middle, some of them should be thinned out so that more light/sun can penetrate through the branches.

What I've stated above is correct and just for the record,
where did you read that Mother Nature said crepe myrtles should never be pruned???

Yeah. That's what I thought!

I reject your reality and substitute my own. And just for the record, the word "never" is modifying the word "intended" not "be pruned".