The Annual Crape Myrtle Massacre!
The Crape Myrtle Massacre is the over pruning and wrong season pruning of crapes
in Houston.
People chop back Crape Myrtles to the "knuckles" and new growth comes out like a
feather duster.
Wrong season pruning would mean November and December. Don't let pressure by
neighbors or commercial gardening crews get to you. The best time to trim
crapes is January through February. Trimming at this time will prevent new
growth damage that could occur if the trees are trimmed in the late fall. The trees
should be resting in dormancy and not producing new growth.
Now, as for how much to trim, it is up to you. Crapes are very resilient no matter
how much you trim. Avoid trimming back to the "knuckles" if you want the tree to
have a better appearance. But you should trim back the expired seedpods to
ensure better blooms in the coming year.
Let's avoid the Crape Myrtle Massacre in Huntwick!
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