February 28, 2007
Pruning Crape Myrtles
This weekend was sunny so I decided to tackle some garden tasks. Top on my list was pruning my crape myrtles. I suspect many of you have that task on your to-do list as well. But I would encourage you to selectively prune your crape myrtles and not to bluntly shear them back to stems 4- or 5-feet tall. I did limited pruning to remove crossing branches and to open the canopy some.
It’s certainly quicker to use a pruning saw or even a chainsaw to head back the plants, but I think it destroys the true character of crape myrtles.
Look at this mature crape myrtle on the Auburn University campus. This is one of my favorites on campus.
Just look at how the trunks contort and the branches bend. You can see how lovely the trunks are with the exfoliating bark. It developed its lovely forms through selective pruning over a number of years.
Heading back crape myrtles can also encourage suckering. That means your severe pruning just generated you work later on to remove those suckers.
For more information on crape myrtles and their care, check out this publication from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Other links:
Common Disease of Crape Myrtle
Common Crape Myrtle--this page includes links to photos of a number of varieties
February 22, 2007
Welcome to Backyard Wisdom’s New Blog!
Backyard Wisdom has been bringing you news and information about gardening and outdoor living since August 2004. The 5-minute radio show, a joint venture of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, airs on Troy University’s public radio stations.
We are adding a blog to the Backyard Wisdom Web site to provide additional information and links to useful sites.
I’m Maggie Lawrence, the host of Backyard Wisdom, and I’ll be the principal contributor to the blog; but you will probably see entries from other contributors as well.
I hope you find the blog both enjoyable and informative. If you have questions or suggestions about either the radio show or the blog, you can email me.