The crape myrtle is one of the most popular plants throughout the Southeast for a good reason. Unique among the plant world, crape myrtles come in a variety of sizes and colors ranging from smaller shrubs to gorgeous trees that are the perfect accent to any yard. Not only are crape myrtles beautiful, they’re also reputed to have a variety of holistic health benefits, including a reduction in inflammation, an increase in bone health and even the prevention of cancer cell growth.
These beautiful flowering plants remain lovely year-round in Louisiana, provided you engage in proper tree maintenance in Baton Rouge, LA. Before you pull out your clippers, however, here are some reasons to leave the long-term health and wellbeing of your crape myrtles to the professionals.
Variety of styles, variety of care
The crape myrtle is an incredibly diverse plant. In addition to the massive fluctuation in size, crape myrtles can grow as single-trunk plants or multi-trunk plants. They can grow as flowering trees or petite miniatures. Some styles of crape myrtle even grow similar to a bonsai tree. That expansive array of options means that there’s no one-size-fits-all cure when it comes to keeping your crape myrtles flourishing. Certain species of crape myrtles require different strategies for care.
Skip the winter weather
Crape myrtles have a very long flowering season, from mid to late July through the end of September. Some varieties of crape myrtle will continue to bloom until the first frost of the winter. As a result, when it comes to proper tree maintenance in Baton Rouge, LA, crape myrtles should be pruned only in the winter. And besides, who is anxious to get out in the cold winter weather to do some work on an otherwise dormant yard? Nobody.
Avoid the invasion
One of the more interesting aspects of the crape myrtle is its hardiness. It requires specialized care to flourish, but keeping the plants alive isn’t especially tricky. Of course, that strength can be a double-edged sword. If left untended, crape myrtles can quickly go to seed and take over an entire yard.
Prune the right way
Again, it’s relatively easy to keep a crape myrtle alive, but it’s a challenge to make sure your crape myrtles are blooming to their fullest potential. For example, one amateur mistake that people make is over-pruning their crape myrtles. The result is a plant that doesn’t flower enough because it must expend too much energy producing new leaves and branches. A specialist, meanwhile, will know the perfect amount of pruning you require.
Come to the pros
Proper tree maintenance in Baton Rouge, LA for your crape myrtles is just one of the ways that the skilled experts at Allan’s Tree Service can transform your yard. We do it all—stump grinding, tree removal, pruning, cabling, bracing, fertilization and so much more. Whether your needs are residential, commercial or industrial, Allan’s Tree Service is ready and waiting to help out. Visit us online or give us a call today to schedule an estimate.
Categorised in: Tree Maintenance
This post was written by Allan's