Crape Murder.

Worth1 · October 7, 2014

I found this interesting article about Crape Murder.
Every year I see this going on and for years I never could figure our why people did it.
They either chop them off at the ground or they cut them off a few feet up as soon as they get to looking good.
Here are a few pictures of Crape murder.

What a horrible thing to do to a tree.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...qQqyXQipqmgo_A

Worth

Darren Abbey · October 7, 2014

In my youth in the South, the family house had a crepe myrtle in the back yard which had been allowed to mature un-accosted. It had grown into a wonderful 25ft tree with three main trunks. Every year it flowered wonderfully. It did take periodic trimming of the "water-sprouts" that persistently came up at the base. I always wondered by people would force the trees to only grow as shrubs by the heavy pruning methods.

Labradors2 · October 7, 2014

I can tell you about that.

As a trainee Master Gardener in NC, our group was lectured about this crime early on in our course, that and Volcano Mulching (around trees).

People commit Crepe Murder because they see others doing it, which is very sad because Crepe Myrtles look lovely when left alone. There really is no excuse these days, because Crepe Myrtles now come in dwarf varieties, so it is silly to plant what becomes a 25' tree in the wrong spot and to keep hacking at it because it becomes too tall.

What I later learned on a visit to a beautiful old garden in Roanoke, NC was that, in the old days, when people needed kindling to start their fires, they would go and harvest some of the skinny sticks from the Crepe Myrtle trees, and that is how this crime began!

Linda

Worth1 · October 7, 2014

Crape Myrtles are a little over done here in my area but what the who.
Who could ask for a better tree.
The things are like a cactus and will live just fine without any extra wateing once established.

The two I planted last year in the front yard are semi dwarfs (Black Diamond Best Red) that will only get 10 to 12 feet tall and around 8 feet wide.
Each has 3 to 4 sprouts coming up from the soil.

They will stay that way.

Worth

feldon30 · October 7, 2014

The irony is, it takes little to no experience at tree pruning to properly prune a Crape Myrtle to look great. Just trim the branches at different locations at attractive angles.

gssgarden · October 7, 2014

In my personal opinion, any landscape maintenance firm involved in this practice should be immediately fired! They are wasting your time and money and obviously don’t care what’s best for your plants or your landscape. If they took the time to educate themselves through seminars and reading, they would earn your money through more horticulturally sound practices.

HA!!

That's such a b.s. statement!

kurt · October 8, 2014

In the village where I have another home called Cutler Bay they have pruning ordinances enacted(Miami Dade County ).All the homes that have a swale of 5ft past the sidewalks have to maintain owner sown and or county planted trees.Most are Live/Red Oaks,a smattering of Palms,Poincianas,Mahoghanys,Jacurandas etc.The rule of thumb is no more than 2/3 thirds and no "top hatting"at all.They will fine you if you violate,they have County employed Arborists that also do building inspections(landscape,tree planting etc.)

Labradors2 · October 8, 2014

Landscapers in our area LOVE to murder the Crepes. It's a nice easy job, and money for them. When I talked to one of them about it, he agreed that it's bad practice, but claims his clients "request" it. They are people who have moved from the north and don't have a clue about southern species so they just copy what the neighbours do - sigh!

Linda

Worth1 · October 8, 2014

I have two loquats a Mexican bird of paradise and a arroyo sweetwood that are going through tree training.
Going for the big lollipop look with the loquats with one trunk coming out of the ground.

These things continually keep me pruning suckers.

I bend and prune the young branches to where I want them to grow.

As far as a tree surgeon/arborist, I haven't seen one in years.
What we have are young guys from south of the border that come in and butcher trees.
A friend of mines neighbor had some huge pecan trees pruned.
They literally cut every limb back to a stump like the pictures you see in this thread.

A person would have to know what to do with a tree be home when they showed up and point at everything they wanted cut.
If you couldn't do the work yourself and called someone to prune your crape myrtle I can guarantee you they would murder the thing.
I have seen it too may times.

Worth

newgardener_tx · October 8, 2014

Ha, Glad to see your post. I was planning to do the pruning this winter just because all the crape trees were pruned in the way in your pics in my neighborhood! I don't know why. I have the tendency just to be a copycat. I have a purple tree and pink tree. They are beautiful and care-free.

Worth1 · October 8, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

Ha, Glad to see your post. I was planning to do the pruning this winter just because all the crape trees were pruned in the way in your pics in my neighborhood! I don't know why. I have the tendency just to be a copycat. I have a purple tree and pink tree. They are beautiful and care-free.

Your welcome.
If you didn't know it an oleander and a pomegranate can be pruned so they can be a tree also.

Just keep cutting off the suckers and leave one to two trunks growing.
After the canopy gets to the desired height you can keep it pruned this way.
They dont have to be an unruly bush with many suckers as we all see.

ChrisK · October 8, 2014

Some of those pictures look like an attempt to pollard them which is a legitimate style. Now, not sure if Crape Myrtle is a good species to do this with though.

Worth1 · October 8, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Some of those pictures look like an attempt to pollard them which is a legitimate style. Now, not sure if Crape Myrtle is a good species to do this with though.

I would think it depended on when you started the process there a few examples of it done right in the photos.

Waiting too long and cutting too big of a branch is not the way to go with pollarding as I just read.

It seems the practice started so people could get firewood but not cut the tree down.

I still wouldn't do it.

Worth

FILMNET · October 9, 2014

Worth, I found your lost brother, this guy is so funny like you are! So nice to read both of you.
enjoy and do look a his great funny post
http://thedailysouth.southernliving..../crepe-murder/

Worth1 · October 9, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by FILMNET

Worth, I found your lost brother, this guy is so funny like you are! So nice to read both of you.
enjoy and do look a his great funny post
http://thedailysouth.southernliving..../crepe-murder/

The posts go on forever.

The poor poor trees.

Worth

October 7, 2014	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Crape Murder. I found this interesting article about Crape Murder. Every year I see this going on and for years I never could figure our why people did it. They either chop them off at the ground or they cut them off a few feet up as soon as they get to looking good. Here are a few pictures of Crape murder. What a horrible thing to do to a tree. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...qQqyXQipqmgo_A Worth

October 7, 2014	#5
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	The irony is, it takes little to no experience at tree pruning to properly prune a Crape Myrtle to look great. Just trim the branches at different locations at attractive angles. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

October 8, 2014	#7
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,490	In the village where I have another home called Cutler Bay they have pruning ordinances enacted(Miami Dade County ).All the homes that have a swale of 5ft past the sidewalks have to maintain owner sown and or county planted trees.Most are Live/Red Oaks,a smattering of Palms,Poincianas,Mahoghanys,Jacurandas etc.The rule of thumb is no more than 2/3 thirds and no "top hatting"at all.They will fine you if you violate,they have County employed Arborists that also do building inspections(landscape,tree planting etc.) __________________ KURT

October 8, 2014	#12
ChrisK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,448	Some of those pictures look like an attempt to pollard them which is a legitimate style. Now, not sure if Crape Myrtle is a good species to do this with though. __________________ Blog: chriskafer.wordpress.com Ignorance more frequently begets knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science. --Charles Darwin

October 9, 2014	#14
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	Grumpy Gardener Worth, I found your lost brother, this guy is so funny like you are! So nice to read both of you. enjoy and do look a his great funny post http://thedailysouth.southernliving..../crepe-murder/

October 7, 2014	#2
Darren Abbey Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 586	In my youth in the South, the family house had a crepe myrtle in the back yard which had been allowed to mature un-accosted. It had grown into a wonderful 25ft tree with three main trunks. Every year it flowered wonderfully. It did take periodic trimming of the "water-sprouts" that persistently came up at the base. I always wondered by people would force the trees to only grow as shrubs by the heavy pruning methods.

October 7, 2014	#3
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,887	I can tell you about that. As a trainee Master Gardener in NC, our group was lectured about this crime early on in our course, that and Volcano Mulching (around trees). People commit Crepe Murder because they see others doing it, which is very sad because Crepe Myrtles look lovely when left alone. There really is no excuse these days, because Crepe Myrtles now come in dwarf varieties, so it is silly to plant what becomes a 25' tree in the wrong spot and to keep hacking at it because it becomes too tall. What I later learned on a visit to a beautiful old garden in Roanoke, NC was that, in the old days, when people needed kindling to start their fires, they would go and harvest some of the skinny sticks from the Crepe Myrtle trees, and that is how this crime began! Linda

October 7, 2014	#6
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,820	In my personal opinion, any landscape maintenance firm involved in this practice should be immediately fired! They are wasting your time and money and obviously don’t care what’s best for your plants or your landscape. If they took the time to educate themselves through seminars and reading, they would earn your money through more horticulturally sound practices. HA!! That's such a b.s. statement!

October 8, 2014	#10
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	Ha, Glad to see your post. I was planning to do the pruning this winter just because all the crape trees were pruned in the way in your pics in my neighborhood! I don't know why. I have the tendency just to be a copycat. I have a purple tree and pink tree. They are beautiful and care-free.