our gardener pruned our crepe myrtles!!!


  #1  
Old 01-10-20, 08:59 AM
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our gardener pruned our crepe myrtles!!!

About two years ago I got serious about our crepe myrtles that looked awful as our gardener had no idea what he was doing.

I got good advice here, watched YouTube videos, found a DIYer nearby who helped me get them back into shape. (He was nice but a little odd...don't know if I can get him back).

I told the gardener to not prune them.

Well....I went to dump some yard waste this morning and the can was full of crape myrtle cuttings!!!!! Obviously the gardener forgot all about it!

So my 12 year old crepe myrtles are cut back to about three foot high stumps.

Okay...deep breath...a first world problem for sure. But any advice, help, what do I do when new shoots start sprouting.
 
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Old 01-10-20, 09:50 AM
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I don't know why people do that. All around the south it seems the misconception that crepe myrtles need to be whacked back to a stump every year.

First, kick the gardener in the rear. Then find a new gardener. After that about all you can do right now is wait for Mother Nature and spring. Of course when it comes back it will have a lot of small branches. Now that the damage is done you'll have to decide if you want the lollipop look of if you want to start leaving/training some branches to become main trunks for future years growth. And then go let the air out of your gardeners truck tires.
 
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Old 01-10-20, 12:31 PM
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Thanks, the current trees/shrubs each have two "main" trunks, with 2 - 3 branches coming off them. There are three, 20 inches, 30 inches, and 50 inches tall. OH...what a mess...I spent soo much time two years ago.

I like the shrubby look versus the lollipop look. I don't need them tall.

If I want to go for the more shrubby look how should I prune, train, new shoots?

I am seriously considering just buying new trees, (which is the easy part), getting the old trees plus roots, out, digging a big enough hole, etc. is a lot of work!

I'd like your "vote". Just buy three new trees....or carefully let the existing trees grow?

How long do they live anyway? Actually they are around 14 years old.
 
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Old 01-10-20, 12:53 PM
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If you like the shrubby look then there is no problem with hacking them. It's going to grow back very shrubby.

If you want something that isn't so tall then you need to buy a shorter variety. Something that stays shorter. That's why they offer different varieties.
 
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Old 01-11-20, 05:41 PM
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crepe murder I call it.. Its a shame. Thats not how they are intended to be IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGUZouWNtY
 
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Old 01-14-20, 08:36 AM
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I misspoke about shrubby. I don't mind them being tallish....15 - 20 feet. Thanks for your response.
 
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Old 04-24-20, 12:13 PM
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To the OP. Cut them to the ground now and see what happens later on. A shrub or a single/double leader.
 
 

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