My neighbor has told me this tree should only be 6-8ft tall and that I need to cut it way down for it to “look” right. I trim it off the house and cut any branches that hang to low to walk under. Thank you for any advice on caring for this tree.
by Maddog376
13 Comments
Your neighbor should stfu. If you’re doing basic maintenance, protecting the house and enjoying the blooms, you do you and screw the neighbor.
It’s your tree, do what you will. That being said it common for landscapers to whack the hell out of these. I think your Tree is gorgeous. Also what landscapers do to these is a terrible practice.
No don’t top it.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/23396-2/
Just here to echo the others. Please don’t top a crape myrtle; they look like shit and grow little sprouts everywhere. This is a very nice tree.
To your neighbor: “Thanks for the tip but this is my tree and I like the way it looks.”
Don’t do it! Tree looks gorgeous!
It’s called Crepe Murder and, I’m not sure where you are, but it helps promote Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale (and other diseases) that is spreading across the south like wildfire and an affordable solution hasn’t been found yet. People plant them right up against their house then it scratches all over so they think trying to keeping it 8’ tall is the solution. One wouldn’t plant an oak right next to the house and cut it down every year, not sure why people think a crepe myrtle is any different.
Crepe myrtles benefit from some shaping in the first few years but then they need *absolutely nothing* and will bloom and grow better when left alone. If you want you can cut out any dead branches but all in all yours looks great to me.
Cranky old man rant over, it’s one of my biggest pet peeves.
Tell your neighbor if they want you to top it they should top all their trees as well so they all look ‘right’
No tree ever “needs” reduction. We thin, prune, reduce trees to promote good limb architecture, and make the tree fit its purpose/situation. For instance, we would remove limbs that encroach on a driveway or sidewalk or rub on the house.
That is a spectacular crape myrtle. You can do crown thinning/structural pruning, but a little bit goes a long way. Easy does it. Your neighbor is unqualified.
Reducing the height by several feet may kill it. It looks great. I don’t see an issue as long as you’re pruning it some to keep it off the house, as you said.
Maybe some of the lower branches should be removed. I would take the branch on the lower left off entirely. Middle branch has a shoot that I would remove. Some of the one’s touching the house should be removed. The pictures aren’t clear enough for me to determine more than that. Do not EVER allow anyone to tell you to top it. It’s a great tree.
Who the hell keeps a crape myrtle 6 feet tall?! They literally can get over 20 feet tall. This thing is a beauty.
P*ss on your neighbor lol 😂
Tell your neighbor that they should wear assless chaps to “look” right!