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| Before Hurricane Sandy likely uproots this tree, I cut it to a height of five feet. Looking at the tree, I'm worried that it's unlikely to regrow next year. Did I murder my 3-year old crape myrtle?
Regarde, Lee |
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| Well, it really does sound like you may have committed "crape murder" (I bet you've heard that phrase before), but that does not mean you have killed your crape. In fact, if it was healthy to start with, the chances that pruning it would kill it are right around zero. If you pruned using heading cuts, it is likely that the shrub/tree will respond similarly to trees that are topped. Multiple new, weakly-attached branches will emerge just below each heading cut. These don't look good and often break off as the tree grows and especially during times of heavy blooming. Tips may develop rot before the wounds are covered over. If this was the way you pruned, my advise would be to keep a close eye on what develops next year and try to do remedial pruning as needed (similar to what one should do when dealing with a tree that has been topped). Another option is to remove all trunks at just above ground level. If you do this, the shrub/tree will respond next year by growing numerous new shoots/suckers from the area around the stumps. This may be good or bad depending on the time you have to control new growth (frequent pruning, sucker removal, tying/staking, etc) and your ultimate desire for form (multiple trunks, few trunks, one trunk, etc). If it were me and I wanted the shrub/tree to have only a few trunks, I'd probably just work with what I had and follow through with remedial pruning later next year. Coppicing can lead to a lot more work in the next year or two. Another thing that may be of concern is timing and new growth. This time of year is really really really not a good time to prune most things. New growth, arising in response to the massive pruning job, will be tender and will likely be killed off by harsh winter conditions. This may not be of substantial consequence to the health of the crape myrtle, but it could be somewhat problematic by robbing energy from the shrub/tree that would normally be stored and used for new growth next year and by causing aesthetic issues from dead limbs. You didn't say where you were, but if your plant is already dormant, maybe this issue will not be of concern at all. |
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- Posted by toronado3800 Z6 St. Louis (My Page) on Mon, Oct 29, 12 at 20:44
| My non hardy Dynamite suffers dieback every year and grows back the next so I expect yours will do the same. In June of all times when it is apparent which stems are dead I try to make proper pruning cuts where I can. Good luck with the storm. Any other trees on your property? |
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