Crepe Myrtle Murder

Stop the trimming...save the tree!

Okay so I am NOT a tree hugger, but it definitely does my heart NO good to see this beautiful tree being trimmed improperly. It just errks me...Crepe Myrtles are BEAUTIFUL trees here in the south and I wish that folks would trim to right. Sigh... Don't listen to the commercial companies, call a nursery or ask someone that truly knows how to care for plants/trees.

A quick lesson: see below-wrong way to trim. If you want a shrub instead of a tree, then dig it up and plant a shrub. Have you ever seen someone top a maple or oak tree? No. Look at all those knots where the tree has been trimmed, trimmed, trimmed. Normal trees should have smooth growing branches!

See this image? The correct trimming is to cut approx. 6 inches off each branch so that the seed pod is removed. The gray part shows correct trimming...

This photo is from somewhere in Dallas. BEAUTIFUL Crepe Myrtle's that have been grown and trimmed well.

Two reasons to trim well, 1-more flowers are produced when the tree is healthy. 2-the tree branches are strong enough to hold the heavy flowers especially when it rains therefore no branches snap off.

Gorgeous!

Love them!

And if for some reason you have trimmed your crepe myrtles a bit to much....I will still be your friend! But now you know for next time.

And my neighbor just had theirs 'trimmed'. I was going to mention something to her, but I think I will just keep trying to get to know her and be a good neighbor and not start a disagreement over trees. After all they are JUST trees. :)