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bjb817

Crape Myrtle Crossing Trunks

bjb817
10 years ago

So I inherited three CM's with my new house that are approximately 12 years old. I highly doubt they've ever been pruned judging by the branching.

Two of the three I've been able to limb up/clean up satisfactorily. One still has two main trunks that cross badly near the base. I'm afraid if I eliminate these two offending trunks, it'll be too unbalanced and sparse.

I want to do my best to enhance the long term health and vigor of the tree without compromising its appearance too much.

Thoughts?

Comments (13)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    Without a picture, it's hard to know what to suggest. Until I saw it, my advise (based on what you've said so far) would be to leave it as/is. If you did remove a trunk, you'd almost surely get plenty of suckers and could choose one or two as replacement trunks. The downsides of that is that (1) they'd be much smaller for quite a while and (2) you'd probably be dealing with lots of suckers for at least a year or two. Post a pictures or two and we can give you more informed info.

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Whole tree

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Shot of base

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Shot of base-different angle

  • j0nd03
    10 years ago

    I would leave it alone. It isn't going to be a large forest tree so any eventual structural concerns can be ignored. Those crossing branches might eventually fuse into one another. Even if they don't, it shouldn't harm the tree/shrub for a very long time if ever.

    If you just had to remove one, pick that smallest one and cut it flush with the trunk just below where it begins to cross the larger branch. The shrub will compensate in the canopy and after a couple years you won't be able to tell the cut was made by the canopy density. As Brandon stated, this will cause it to sucker most likely and that is something you will have to address as it arises.

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    I basically agree with j0nd03. The two minor changes I would make are:
    (1.) It is somewhat uncommon, in my experience, for crape myrtle trunks to truly fuse. Maybe some do, but it's not common.
    (2.) If you do decide to remove one of the trunks, I would suggest making the cut above ground level but as low as possible without damaging other trunks, etc.

  • j0nd03
    10 years ago

    Brandon, you are the crApe expert here ;-)

    Question - if one was to injure the bark on both stems along the boundary they touch, when the callus tissue forms, would it be more likely to fuse than if left alone? Just thinking out loud and curious!

    John the (still) newb

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    10 years ago

    I don't know, but, if I had to bet, I'd bet that symmetrical wounding (where the wounds were touching or very near each other, like might happen if branches were moving and rubbing against each other) would increase the likelihood of inosculation. It would also increase the likelihood of pathogens entering the wood and eventual rot, though.

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    If you look at the biggest in the center on the last pic, that was actually a spot where two trunks had fused. So, I'd have to say, yes it can happen. I was just always the impression that was a bad thing with CM's.

    As long as it's not going to cause any long term structural issues, I think I'll stop where I'm at. I did remove several badly crossing trunks already, so it's certainly better than it was.

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    If you look at the biggest in the center on the last pic, that was actually a spot where two trunks had fused. So, I'd have to say, yes it can happen. I was just always the impression that was a bad thing with CM's.

    As long as it's not going to cause any long term structural issues, I think I'll stop where I'm at. I did remove several badly crossing trunks already, so it's certainly better than it was.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i know NOTHING.. absolutely nothing about CM ... do you think that will stop me????

    NOOOO!!!!!

    why are you applying TREE rules.. to a flowering SHRUB????

    first off... worst pics ever.. what did you use.. an etch-a-sketch ..... lol ... but they are good enough ... and i hope you have a sense of humor ... lol

    first.. whats your hurry ...

    second.. how much of the canopy have you already removed... 25% ... 40% .. how about you step away ... for this year.. and see how it looks next year... never forget.. there is no real hurry with pruning ...

    third.. and it is not some 100 foot oak.. hanging over your house.. ready to kill you in your sleep.. so what if this rubbing branch rots out in 20 or 30 years .. so what.. it will fall to the ground ...

    4th ... i really think.. during observation nest summer .. and many adult beverages.. while sitting on your deck pondering this thing.. that you think about totally renovating this thing ... what was originally planted.. to hide an ugly fence.. is now.. basically above the fence ... mind you.. hiding the house behind ... but thru proper REJUVENATION PRUNING ... you could have it hiding the fence and the house ... there is no reason it needs bare knees ... pruning done right ...

    what you havent done here is .. and mind you.. i havent read all the posts and replies.. but again.. that wont stop me.. lol ... is define.. precisely.. what your goal is.. other than to use your saw ...

    i know there are a multitude of forms of CM .... what is your ultimate goal ...

    again ... this can be cut next fall ... or after bloom.. find out how well you have done so far ...

    in summation.. whats your hurry ....

    ken

  • bjb817
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes, I actually had to saw them apart. I'll be honest, removing crossing branches is something that always seems to be advised in the Crape Myrtle pruning advice I've found online. I'd assumed it makes the area more prone to disease? As dumb as it sounds, it just didn't seem like a good thing.

    I know worst case you can cut it to the ground and start over, but I'd really prefer not to do that. Our backyard is a mess and by the time I clean things up, we'll be mostly starting from scratch. I'd at least like to have these CM's.

    To me, the larger varieties of CM's like these are a multi trunked tree, not a shrub. So, to me it seems logical to apply tree pruning rules to a small tree. :^) I like to be able to walk under a tree without hitting my head, so that's why it's pruned up to 6' roughly.

    I'm definitely done for this year. I'd estimate I've probably removed about 1/3 of the branches. Mostly it was taking off lower ones to limb it up, but also ones that were rubbing. Several of them were growing into the fence, so that was an issue too.

    I may plant some evergreen mid sized shrubs to hide the fence. When the leaves are on, I believe the CM's will still hide quite a bit of the view into the neighbor's yard.

    So what's my hurry? To get some semblance of order in this mess of a yard I inherited. I'm just ADD/OCD like that...

    Hopefully this pic of the whole shrub is more clear. I just got a new phone and haven't figured out how to properly resize pics, etc...

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