Crate Myrtle

[centexchick]

Same article I read...good stuff as I thought originally I needed to cut like everyone else around me..Google is your friend lol

I follow what Neil has to say...he has a good radio program and always has hints on fb....I trust him since he has been doing this so long......and on top of that, crape myrtles and magnolias are my favorite "trees".....

[zemog]

I realize some of you on this board do the landscaping thing for a living but I am sorry. You are not trimming these trees correctly. Say what you will....that I am wrong or whatever...but the major players in the landscaping world will disagree with you.

http://www.neilsperry.com/maq/shrubs/how-much-do-i-prune-my-crape-myrtles-and-when-is-the-best-time-to-do-it.html

Question: How much do I prune my crape myrtles, and when is the best time to do it?

Answer: Most crape myrtle pruning is done improperly or it wasn't needed in the first place. First thing to note: never use pruning as a means of controlling height with your crape myrtle. If it is too tall, move it to another location where it can grow to its full genetic potential. Never "top" any crape myrtle at any time for any reason. Topping is the quickest and surest way to ruin an otherwise lovely crape myrtle. You can remove internal shoots and unwanted branches, but never leave stubs. All cuts should be flush with a remaining trunk or branch. You do not have to remove seed pods in the winter, although you can trim them away following each round of summer bloom to encourage new growth and additional flowering. Those cuts should be made right at the bases of the spent flower clusters so that the seed pods are all that you're removing.

i love these.,,, we do it in the real world while these guys write books for people gullible enough to listen....speary came to a gcsaa meeting (golf course superintendants association of america) a year or so ago, and left before he could finish his presentation on how great his products were and effectiveness ...etc.......why, because he couldnt answer the questions given to him by a group of his "peers" who know his bullshit wont fly in the real world

[EW]

I chop the shit out of them (5 years in a row) and from where I cut to one seasons growth is like 7'.