Crepe myrtle pruning

I noticed two different properties this week where the crepe myrtles had been pruned at the tops and then appeared to have been burned or torched at the tops. About a foot or so at the top of each branch was charred black. What would be the reason for doing that?

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2 Comments To "Crepe myrtle pruning"

#1 Comment By BushDoctor On 02/27/2018 @ 12:56 pm

This is not a common practice in my area. It could be that the cut ends were suffering an infection from being pruned during a wet season. Can you include pictures so that I can see what is going on?

#2 Comment By JustBiff On 03/10/2018 @ 1:08 pm

Sorry it took awhile for me to get back to these charred crepe myrtles and take pictures. We have had several hard rains and a good bit of the charring had washed off, but it is still visible in some areas in crevices and on the undersides. The trees are beginning to sprout new growth but they seem far behind mine and others in the area. There does seem to be some scale or fungus or some kind of disease on one of the trees in particular. Any thoughts?

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