Help Stamp Out Crape Myrtle Mutilation

The great crape myrtle pruning debate continues. There are several methods currently being used, ranging from minimum clipping to mutilation.

Many residents, both casual and hard-core gardeners, are passionate about this subject. It is not unusual for me to receive reports about the latest miscarriage of pruning justice, complete with location. In some cases I am expected to respond in some way and make things right in the crape myrtle world.

I share your pain, but the decisions that homeowners, businesses or municipalities make concerning cultural practices are up to them. In response, I can only offer recommendations in hopes that better pruning practices will catch on.

Crape Myrtle Pruning Tips

v Crape myrtles generally require little pruning unless they grow out of scale with the surroundings and must be reduced in size. The need for severe pruning can be eliminated by selecting cultivars that won’t outgrow the area. There are now dwarf and semi-dwarf cultivars that can be used where space is limited.

v Any major pruning should be done during the mid to late dormant season. Avoid early fall pruning because it can stimulate new growth and damage from the first freeze.

v When growing crape myrtles to a tree form, remove suckers or water sprouts that sometimes develop along lower portions of the main stems or from the roots.

v Tip pruning to remove old flower clusters and seed pods will promote recurrent blooming, but is sometimes not practical for large plants or low maintenance landscapes.

v Small twiggy growth and crossing, crowded branches should be thinned out from underneath and within the canopy. This keeps the trunk clean and allows air circulation, helping to prevent powdery mildew.

v When heavy pruning is absolutely necessary it must be done right. Improper pruning, such as “flat topping” or “buck horning” results in excessively vigorous, weakly attached new branches and the destruction of the crape myrtles natural branching habit.

Instead of making cuts anywhere on branches, practice what is known as “heading back.” Using this technique, it is possible to reduce the size of the plant without changing its shape or causing the “witch brooming” effect so commonly seen.

Heading back, also known as drop crotching, simply means making each cut on a major limb slightly above a side branch. Using this method, the height and width of a plant can be reduced, but the general shape is not altered. The side branch that is left allows the plant to have a growing point, reducing the stimulation and emergence of excessive lateral buds from each stem.

Much information is available on this subject. Your local nursery, garden center, landscape professional or Extension agent can provide advice. The University of Florida offers a 13 page publication entitled: Circular 853, Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs. It can be obtained from your local Florida Extension office or online at edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Question of the Week: My petunias did well last fall and are beginning to grow again. Will they freeze? Should I make plans to protect them.

Answer: Petunias are relatively cold hardy and are not likely to suffer winter injury unless we experience an extremely cold period. You might consider covering them overnight if temperatures are predicted to reach the twenties or lower.