Should i cut back crepe myrtles




















As they grow taller, gradually remove all side branches up to a height of four to five feet. This exposes the smooth, handsome bark. Early each spring, remove weak, spindly growth and all the branches that are growing in toward the center of the plant. Prune large branches back to a crotch. Never leave thick stubs. Remove branches that are too close together or that cross or rub each other.

It is important not to prune the tops of crepe myrtle trees to make them bloom. Topping may yield larger flowers but does not increase the overall volume of blooms. Extreme topping often results in weak growth that tends to bend of break in summer rains. Houseflies are the dumbest living things on Earth, literally incapable of learning anything, which makes me wonder sometimes if houseflies equipped with pruners have been savaging our neighborhood's crepe myrtles.

No matter how many times I tell folks not to chop their crepe myrtles into big, ugly stumps each spring, they do it anyway, maiming the beautiful trunks and ruining the natural treelike form.

But perhaps "crepe murder" is a matter of taste, not intelligence. If so, here is a pruning task everyone can agree on. You know how a crepe myrtle typically sprouts a thicket of suckers at the base each spring? Reach down now, and pull them off at ground level.

That will keep your crepe myrtle from turning into a thick, unkempt shrub. It will also prove to the world that you're not a housefly. For most of us, that's a good thing. Select these trees while they are in bloom. Remember, they can vary greatly in size and bloom colors. Choose the right size for your landscape to help avoid the ultimate Southern gardening sin, "crepe murder" severely pruning your tree to just a few sticks and ruining its natural form.

Large selections more than 20 feet tall include 'Natchez' white and 'Miami' pink. Medium selections less than 20 feet tall include 'Near East' pink and 'Regal Red' deep red. Dwarf forms less than 3 feet tall include 'Centennial' purple and 'Chickasaw' pink. Select a sunny location, and remember to mulch and water well to ease your tree into the landscape.

Container-grown trees are easy to transport and transition into the garden well. When people think of crepe myrtles, they envision warm summer days and pink, red, lavender, and white flower clusters sagging in the sun. But look at these classic trees in fall, and you might be surprised. Brilliant blooms will be replaced by orange, red, and yellow foliage for an outstanding autumn show.

Crepe myrtles have rounded, light green leaves that emerge in the spring. As the weather warms, the foliage hardens off and turns dark green. Then, when the temperatures drop in the fall, leaves gradually transform from green to sparkling fall hues. Many gardeners select crepe myrtles by bloom colors, but you can also choose a plant by its fall foliage see chart below. Now is the perfect time to plant these beautiful trees, which come in many colors and sizes to fit your needs and space.

These can be planted in tight areas where you want a tree but have little space. Medium ones, such as 'Centennial Spirit,' 'Tuskegee,' and 'Yuma,' grow 15 to 20 feet tall and work well around sidewalks and terraces but can still be planted close to the house.

Big crepe myrtles, such as 'Dynamite,' 'Natchez,' and 'Tuscarora,' will grow 20 feet or more. They make excellent street trees and can be used in large yards.

Crepe myrtles need full sun to perform well. First things first You need to decide what look you would like for your tree to have Single Trunk Multi Stem Natural Look Now the good news is that Crape Myrtles are one darn tough plant.

Most people don't know this The reason you should prune your Crape Myrtles is because of one reason… blooms. So now on to the good stuff. Click on image to view larger When you prune your Crape Myrtle the proper way it will will maximize blooms, promote new growth and give your plant a great shape.

Picture Picture Picture But that's just part of the story. The Single Trunk In my opinion , the single trunk Crape Myrtle is one of the more beautiful shapes the tree can take on with proper pruning, however, will require the most investment in pruning each year. Multi-Trunk The multi trunk look for Crape Myrtles is probably the most common professional trimming approach.

So to make a point… to achieve the multi stem look, allow your Crape Myrtle to branch along the length of the stem and follow these steps Try to prune later in winter, February is ideal. Cut off suckers from the bottom, rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward. Gradually cut off all side branches from the main base as the tree gets taller. Never leave lone or clustered stubs. Be sure to remove unwanted branches before they get too thick thickness of a pencil. Finally… The Natural Look So you might not know this but allowing your Crape Myrtle to grow into its natural shape has been the trend in recent years.

Your Crape Myrtle will still bloom and be beautiful so long as it's watered and fertilized properly The bottom line is….

Meanwhile… I'll leave you with a helpful how to video on pruning your Crape Myrtles. About The Author Gene Caballero. San Antonio, TX. Fresno, CA. Houston, TX. Tulsa, OK. Denver, CO. Fort Worth, TX. Albuquerque, NM.

Long Beach, CA. Chicago, IL. El Paso, TX. Raleigh, NC. For every one branch I cut I get 2 the upcoming spring. The tree so far has done me well. That I get around here in August. And the main stalks of the tree I watch during the year as they get fatter and they shed their bark. Awesome tree. Going to plant 2 other versions this year.

Which I will probally follow your technique for the Red Rocket. Then also going to plant a dwarf — Purple Magic! I Love Mrytles! The roots of my crepe myrtle came up all around the tree. A friend and I cut them out. We also pruned the top, as usual. Have I murdered my crepe myrtle by cutting out the roots coming up from the bottom. Our crepe myrtle totally obscures our living room window. If properly done will this damage the tree? We live in Western Maryland. Learning how to care for our Myrtles.

We had an early cold snap and all the leaves on our CM are brown, dried and still on the branches. I had heard that February was the time to prune ifany is needed. These 2 are young about 5ft tall.

Any suggestions? Just moved into a home where the CM has been cut back for many years, and now has those big round balls where it was pruned. Currently has dormant branches.

What can I do to help it grow and bloom properly? I very much appreciate your help. Some yellow leaves, big and beautiful, just not blooming. Thanks star. My crepe myrtle is a disaster. It was blooming when we moved here 6 years ago. Then I received bad advice and pruned it in the fall. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have never trimmed most of them since i trim one 15 or so years ago and it stopped putting on as many blooms. I keep the sucker and low hanging limbs trim in February. Big beautiful trees with little or no blooms i need help please! I have pruned my Myrtles the last 2 years to keep them short.. They already bloomed this year. Please send me some advice.

I will be so ever grateful for your thoughts. Thank you most kindly Grace. You may have convinced me not to prune my tall crepe myrtles. This type of pruning is not recommended because it destroys the natural form and shape of the plant. Some do this type of pruning with the idea that it promotes flowering, however, branches that grow from these drastic cuts are weak and poorly attached to the main branches.

Not only will these weak branches be easily damaged in wind and ice, but they will not be strong enough to hold up flowers during the summer causing the weak branches to sag from the weight of the flowers. Crape myrtles are actually low-maintenance when it comes to pruning. Usually crape myrtles only need light pruning once the shape of the plant is established. When pruning, remember that new growth will emerge 3 to 4 inches below where the limb is cut.

Avoid cutting back large limbs and leaving stubs, because an abundance of new growth will emerge near the cut, looking like pom-poms on stalks and is not the natural habit of a crape myrtle. When you first begin to prune a crape myrtle, you want to select three to five of the strongest and healthiest trunks and cut the other trunks out at ground level. Remove water sprouts that you see come up from the ground any time of the year. As the crape myrtle grows, you can remove lower branches from the main trunks to raise the canopy of the tree.



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