This improperly pruned crape myrtle tree has undergone “crape murder,” which is when the entire crown of the crape myrtle tree is cut off. Courtesy of Leaf & Limb, a Raleigh-based tree care company ...

I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

Looking for a winter garden task? Pruning plants, shrubs, and trees can help improve growth and health. Here are some you ...

Winter pruning takes advantage of the plant’s dormancy. With sap flow slowed and leaves gone, structural flaws are easy to ...

In the past, I have written about how to properly prune trees. To add a little bit of interest, I thought perhaps it would be beneficial to show examples of poor pruning and the reasons why these ...

Somehow, the belief that crape myrtles should be brutally pruned by cutting off their tops persists, even though it's inaccurate. Crape murder is a term that has been coined to describe this severe ...

Now’s the time of year you’re most likely to see naked crape myrtle trees, the unfortunate consequence of improper wintertime pruning. The practice has even been given a not-so-affectionate nickname: ...