Monday, February 5, 2018

Crape Myrtle: To Prune or Not to Prune

       Every year in late winter or very early Spring, homeowners and landscape professionals are faced with the question of whether or not to prune their Crape Myrtle trees. Traditionally, Crape Myrtles have been pruned or "topped off" each year. Contrary to popular belief, however, pruning your Crape Myrtle tree is not necessary and does not help it to grow/flower earlier or more. In fact, pruning your Crape Myrtle tree delays its blooming in most cases. The only reason behind pruning your tree is to keep it at a certain size, or shape, or to improve its appearance. If your Crape Myrtle was planted too close to a walkway, building, or other landscaping, pruning may be necessary to keep the tree from growing into an area where you do not want it, or from growing too large.
       If you choose to prune your Crape Myrtle, there are two common methods that are used. The most common method is pollarding. When pollarding, the tree is continually cut in the same spot (usually a large diameter branch) in order to keep the Crape Myrtle at a certain height. Over time, at the point where the tree is pruned, a swollen area forms, known a pollard, or commonly referred to as a "knuckle".The other option for pruning your Crape Myrtle is tipping, which is also commonly referred to as tip pruning. When tipping, you prune the tree through much smaller diameter branches around the top of the canopy and rounding out the shape of the tree. These branches are usually less than a year old. This process is very time consuming, but in the end creates a very attractive, rounded tree.
      In the end, the decision on whether or not to prune a Crape Myrtle tree lies with the owner of the tree. If the owner would like the tree to stay at a certain height, or would like to improve the aesthetics of the tree, then pruning is recommended, but not required. Pruning of a Crape Myrtle does not encourage more, or improve growth, and does not increase the amount or duration of its blooms. In actuality, it delays the tree's blooming.

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