To Prune or Not To Prune?

That seems to always be the question, and especially in this economy, you'll want to remember that cutting back shouldn't just apply to your monthly spending.  (Sorry, bad joke).

Proper pruning and cutting back of your perennials keeps them healthy, attractive, and allows them to grow stronger and last longer.  The trick?  Knowing what you're doing before you get out the pruners.

Let's have a look at some common sights around East Cobb -- the lovely Crape Myrtle in its various stages of life.

Here is Crape Myrtle that has been left to grow without any assistance:

This is an older, established tree that unfortunately is not able to be as beautiful as it could be because its pruning needs are being ignored.  This tree doesn't need to necessarily be pruned to keep it at a certain height, but selective pruning would give it a "cleaner" look.  It is true, though, that the fate of this tree is far more favorable than being pruned incorrectly, which results in extremely unsightly specimens that suffer from stunted growth and the inability to become a full-sized, healthy Crape Myrtle.

Take a look at what some folks refer to as "Crape Murder" --

Seriously?  I am amazed and appalled every time I see this, and believe me, I see it over and over again while I'm evaluating properties or simply driving through the areas where I work and live.  A tree should not look like it is in pain, but when I see pruning jobs that leave Crape Myrtles like the ones above, I am reminded of the gnarled, arthritic hands we've all seen in horror films -- not exactly what you should be shooting for when designing a warm, welcoming landscape.

When a Crape Myrtle is pruned back too far it has two effects -- it reduces the number of blooms that will be produced during summer, and the new branches will grow far too long and therefore not be able to support the weight of heavy blooms, especially when wet.

So what should you do if you've got Crape Myrtles?  The answer is very simple: the trees should be properly pruned annually to maintain proper height, and to give them a tidier appearance.  They should not be massacred.  They should not be attacked with a chainsaw.  They should be trimmed from the bottom up, carefully removing old growth that will allow for the newer growth that will arrive with the Spring.  When a Crape Myrtle is pruned properly it will produce twice the number of strong branches and therefore twice the number of blooms as it did during the previous year.

The time to cut back is now.  Whether it's Knock-Out Roses, Lenten Rose, or Crape Myrtles, doing so means more beauty to enjoy during the flowering season.  My only advice is this -- do it right, and keep in mind that not all "professionals" know the difference between pruning and "Crape Murder."