Crepe Myrtle Pruning Class and Demonstration

"A Tale of Love, Murder, and Proper Pruning"
Basil Camu, Leaf & Limb

  • Saturday, September 25, 2021 – 9:00 am11:00 am

You are probably familiar with the term crepe murder (and if you are not, all the more reason to attend this class!). But what can you do to avoid crepe murder?

In this class, we will use the crepe myrtle as a vehicle to teach the basics of pruning. We will focus on the following:

  • Some basic terminology and biology.
  • The three basic cuts (thinning cut, selective heading cut, non-selective heading cut).
  • A step-by-step on how to make a proper pruning cut.
  • The overall goal of pruning.
  • Then, with these basics in place, an interactive demonstration on how to properly prune a crepe myrtle and avoid crepe murder.

The difference between expert pruning and everything else is knowing what to prune—and how the plant will react to each cut given all existing conditions—in order to achieve a specific goal.

crepe myrtle

By the end of this course, we hope to provide you with enough information to begin making calculated pruning cuts and to understand why crepe murder is harmful.

Demonstration

The demonstration portion of this program will not be presented live to the online participants. It will be recorded and shared at a later time.

COVID-19 Guidelines

This program is scheduled as an in-person program (and online, too) under the assumption we can meet together in groups at this time. If NC State or the state have any COVID-19 safety guidelines in place at this time, everyone in attendance will be required to follow them. If meeting in person indoors isn't permitted at the time of the class, we will need to adjust how this class is offered.

About Basil Camu

Basil loves trees. And soil, wildflowers, insects, bats, fungi, ecosystems—basically all of Earth. He is fully committed to caring for this beautiful planet. He is a treecologist, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, Duke University graduate, and wizard of things at Leaf & Limb. Though trees are his passion and profession, he also loves cultivating flowers in his garden, restoring native meadows, and propagating plants from seed. Some of Basil's favorite pastimes are hanging out with his wife and sons, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, powerlifting, CrossFit, hiking, and long-distance running. His next favorite things in life are reading, garlic, traveling the world, blazing hot peppers, pickles, and anything from Lucette Grace in downtown Raleigh, in approximately that order.

Cost
$20.00 for members, $25.00 for nonmembers.
Registration
Advance registration is required. Please register online using our registration e-store (in-person program and online program). Registration is limited and is considered complete when payment is received.
Cancellation
Program cancellations can be made up to two weeks before the program's start date. A 15% cancellation fee applies.
Location
Online and Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Directions
Need directions? Click here.
Parking
Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
Questions
Please call (919) 513-7005 for more information about this program.