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So this weekend I transplanted a crepe myrtle, approx 10' to another area of the yard. The builder stuck it right in the middle of the yard, so annoying...
Anyway, its a 3 truck baby with probably 3/4" trunks if I had to guess. 2 of the trunks cross over about 3' up. Is there a way I can stake it and pull them apart in hopes it holds down the road or is it just a lost cause and I should let it go? I got a solid root ball so I believe it will make it no problem, just don't want it looking like crap as it matures.
I have read that crepe myrtles have difficulty being transplanted, so I would concentrate on getting the roots to 'take' in the new location before messing with the structure too much. When you say the branches cross over, do you mean they rub? If they do not rub, just leave them alone. If they rub, eventually one of the two will need to go. Just not now.
I am glad you decided to correct this design error before the plants got too big. Even if this guy doesn't make it you will still have the opportunity to do something more appealing than a tree in the middle of the yard.
I have read the opposite that Crepe Myrtles are very hearty and transplant well unless you try and do it the middle of the summer.
My only issue is its one of the main 3 trunks that are crossing, not just a branch. About 3' over it starts to cross and about mid way up it splits through the other two trunks and pops out the opposite side. I got most of the root ball as it was only in the ground for a year so it should be good or at least I hope. I'm just not wild about the aesthetics of the trees 3 mains and how they look. I'll try and get a picture this evening since its hard to envision what is going on through text.
mstrength,
I would cut the branch you want to, and leave the other branch to grow out.
I know what you are talking about, the tree will also branch out at the bottom with more trunks, so it you wanted you could allow them to branch and see if you want to use one of them. They grow so fast it really won't take that long to decide what you want to do with it.
When I first got mine, 8 years ago, I read a great online article about pruning crape myrtles for form. Check it out when you get a chance. It helps with how to cut them without injuring them.
My tree is 30 feet tall now, I never fertilized it, it gets what my lawn gets.
mstrength,
I would cut the branch you want to, and leave the other branch to grow out.
I know what you are talking about, the tree will also branch out at the bottom with more trunks, so it you wanted you could allow them to branch and see if you want to use one of them. They grow so fast it really won't take that long to decide what you want to do with it.
When I first got mine, 8 years ago, I read a great online article about pruning crape myrtles for form. Check it out when you get a chance. It helps with how to cut them without injuring them.
My tree is 30 feet tall now, I never fertilized it, it gets what my lawn gets.
Yea our old home we had 3 that were 30+ feet. Pruning them the right way was no fun as I got gouged more than I'd like to remember. Never crepe "murdered" them. I thought about cutting the crossing over trunk but I was afraid it would look odd with only 2 and then the stray would never catch up coming out of the ground causing it to look off and out of balance.
Generally speaking, crossed branches/trunks, touching branches are frowned upon, as they tend to create areas for bugs/fungus to hide. You'll never see a crossed or touching branch in a commercial fruit orchard. That said, I've seen many crepe myrtles with branches touching, with no obvious ill effect.
Just an update, the tree was moved and is doing fine after 2 full weeks and seems rock solid in the ground as well. Luckily temps this time of year have been mild and we got a slew of rain since moving it so I'm sure that's helped. Landscape is going to stake out the branches and see if we can train them as well since it bugs the crap out of me haha.
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