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Crape Myrtle Pruning in Katy & Fulshear: How to Avoid Crape Murder
Every winter, crape myrtles across Katy, Fulshear and Weston Lakes get chopped to stubs. Here is how to prune them so they bloom better and grow the trunks you planted them for.
Why crape myrtles get butchered
Crape myrtles are in almost every yard between Katy and Fulshear, and every winter a lot of them get cut back to the same stubs. It is called crape murder. It is fast, it looks tidy for a week, and it is the worst thing you can do to the tree.
Topped trunks grow fat knobs. Every knob throws a bunch of thin, whippy shoots that grow fast, flop over under the weight of the flowers and crowd each other. The smooth, peeling trunks you planted the tree for never get a chance to grow.
What good crape myrtle pruning looks like
- Suckers off at the base. The shoots coming up around the trunks and from the roots go first, every time.
- Pick the trunks. On a multi-trunk tree, keep three to five strong, well-spaced trunks and take the rest out at the ground.
- Thin, don't top. Branches that cross, rub, grow into the middle or hang over the roof come out whole, cut back to where they start.
- Lift the lower limbs so the trunks show and the tree clears the walk, the fence and the house.
- Dead wood out. Dead twigs and old seed heads can come off; the seed heads are optional.
When to prune crape myrtles in Texas
The main pruning is late winter, January into February, before new growth starts. The tree is bare, so every branch is easy to see, and crape myrtles bloom on the wood that grows in spring, so you lose no flowers. Suckers, dead wood and a limb rubbing the house can come off any time of year.
Crape myrtles are not oaks, so oak wilt season does not apply to them. If you have live oaks in the same yard, see the best time to trim oak trees in Texas: those wait until the safe window.
Too big for the spot?
Topping a crape myrtle that outgrew its place only makes it grow back faster and weaker. Thinning and lifting buys a lot of room. If the tree is still too big after that, the honest answer is a smaller variety in that spot, and we will tell you so.
Black trunks and white bugs
Black, sooty trunks usually mean crape myrtle bark scale: small white felt-like insects in the bark cracks, with sooty mold growing on what they leave behind. It is common around Houston. Have it looked at before you spray anything; our tree health diagnostic is $60 right now, regular $100.
Common questions
When is the best time to prune crape myrtles in Texas?
Late winter, January into February, before the new spring growth starts. The tree is bare, so you can see every branch, and it blooms on the new wood that grows afterward. Suckers, dead wood and a branch rubbing the house can come off any time of year.
What is crape murder?
Cutting every trunk back to the same height each winter. It leaves fat knobs, and each knob sends out a bunch of thin shoots that flop over when they bloom. The tree looks chopped all winter and it never gets the smooth, tall trunks that make a crape myrtle worth having.
My crape myrtle is too big for its spot. Should I top it?
No. Topping makes it grow back fast and weaker. Thin it instead: take out whole branches back to where they start, and lift the lowest limbs. If it is still too big, the honest answer is a smaller variety in that spot.
What is the black stuff on my crape myrtle's trunk?
Usually sooty mold growing on the honeydew from crape myrtle bark scale, a small white felt-like insect in the bark cracks. It is common around Houston. It does not kill the tree quickly but it weakens it. Have it looked at before you spray anything; a tree health diagnostic is $60 right now.
How much does crape myrtle pruning cost?
Standard tree care, trimming included, is $300 with the Iran War Discount (regular $500). Every on-site estimate is a flat $10 fuel fee, credited to the job when you book it.
Related: Tree trimming & pruning · Your arborist · All tree care tips
What it costs with us
Iran War Discount: 40% off every service. Young live oak pruning $120–$300 · trimming, removals and stump grinding $300 · tree health diagnostic $60 · tree fertilization $60. Every on-site estimate is a flat $10 fuel fee, credited to the job when you book it. See all prices.
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