"escapee" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 May 2004 02:16:56 GMT, "Chris" opined:


Great info, thanks very much Roy.

I did trim it back during the winter like the others. I can't recall
what
they call it officially but it's basically "topping" the trees. I do it
to
all my crepes.
Chris


That's one of your problems. In Texas it's known as crape murder!


http://www.plantdelights.com/Tony/crape.html
Read this:

The author of the article named it poorly because topping a Crape will not
kill it. It also won't necessarily injure the plant forever. When pruned
back almost to the ground, a Crape will always send out new shooters which
will eventually turn into new trunks. Sometimes when a shrub has been
neglected for years, the best and easiest way to correct the problem is to
prune back almost to the ground. The best way to take care of a Crape
Myrtle, or practically any flowering shrub, is to prune it lightly each year
retaining the natural shape of the plant.