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Crape Murder: The Ugly Truth Lurking in Southern Gardens

 
crapemyrtle
 
 
 

A Graceful Southern BeautyScreen Shot 2015-02-20 at 11.48.07 AM

Take a look at this beautiful specimen. This is a gorgeous crape myrtle that I encountered yesterday at the Brazoria County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden. Even without leaves it is absolutely spectacular! The thing that makes it so is the structure of the tree. Notice the graceful curves of the branch, how they taper to a natural point.

Exposing the Slaughter

Now is there something that you don’t see on this tree that you see on many other crape myrtles around town? How about those ugly, knurled lumps formed from incorrect pruning of crape myrtles from what we in the gardening world refer to as “crape murder.” Allow me a moment to get on my soap box. If you learn nothing else about gardening please, please, please learn that not only do you not have to hack crape myrtles like is often seen, but it is actually bad for them causing:
  • An invitation for pest and disease problems.
  • Ugly lumps that form from being cut in the same place over and over.
  • Interruption of the naturally graceful growth pattern of the tree.
  • An abundance of skinny, wispy branches at the end of the lumps that do not allow for good air circulation.  Read full article.

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