How To Prune Crepe Myrtle Bushes

September 30, 2022 Post a Comment

As the crape myrtle grows, you can remove lower branches from the main trunks to raise the canopy of the tree. To prune crepe myrtle, rogers says to start with a pair of sharp pruning shears that you’ve wiped down with rubbing alcohol, rinsed and dried.

Crepe Myrtles are Easy and Beautiful Bushes & Trees Easy

Prune crepe myrtle trees when you wish to shape them or if you find the branches are too close together for your taste, but for the most part, you do not need to prune crepe myrtle trees.

How to prune crepe myrtle bushes. Crape myrtle trees (lagerstroemia) are to the southern united states what ivy is to university towers.imperative. Crepe myrtles are a different animal. Remove any broken or dead myrtle branches at the base of the affected stem whenever you notice them.

Try to prune later in winter, february is ideal. Remove water sprouts that you see come up from the ground any time of the year. One is a natural style and the other is a formal style.

To keep a crape myrtle at a manageable height, prune moderately by removing all twiggy growth back to lower growing side branches. Crape myrtles bloom on new growth, so prune them in early spring before they break dormancy. How to prune crepe myrtle.

Crape myrtles should be pruned in the winter months when they are dormant. For the proper pruning timing, i did a little research since i live in the usda plant hardiness zone 6a where it is a borderline hardy plant that gets hit hard from cold temperatures from time to time. He offers these tips on how to proceed with pruning:

To encourage blooming, prune immediately after flowers are spent. If you have a group of plants in a line along a driveway this method makes the plants very uniform in height. There are five (and only five) good reasons to prune a crepe myrtle tree:

Blooming crape myrtle along a walking path. There is a right way and time to prune them. If you decide to prune crape myrtle bushes, always trim them in winter.

To remove limbs that rub against each other; In the meantime here is a photo of our company treasurer. 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.

Though not as ubiquitous as they are the southeast, the crape myrtle’s range also extends to the southwest and up the west coast, where they are also revered for their great beauty. We are looking for a good photo illustrating a crape myrtle that was wacked. Find out the mature height of a selection before planting it.

On the other hand, if your crepe myrtle was recently planted and is 10 feet tall or less, you can reach the seed pods to cut them off. When to prune crepe myrtle. Pruning in the fall will likely leave your crepe myrtle susceptible to frost damage, especially the farther north you live.

Crape myrtles only bloom on new growth. This new growth is where all the blooms will appear. When pruning, thin out areas with many branches by cutting selected branches or limbs back to where it meets another branch.

Obviously, if your crepe myrtle is 30 feet tall, the chances of you renting a helicopter to safely lower you down to the top of the tree to prune are quite small. Prune only to maintain natural form. To remove dead wood, more commonly called deadwood; to remove limbs and twigs that are growing back toward the center of the tree;

However, crape myrtle bushes don’t require much pruning, apart from thinning its compact growth. Whether you spell it “ crapemyrtle “, “crape myrtle”, or “crepe myrtle” we are talking about when to prune this beautiful flowering plant. As you prune, you pick the spots at the height on your crape myrtle you wish the plant to be and that is where you will keep it for the life of the plant.

As always, the best way to maintain a crape myrtle at a certain size is to plant an appropriate cultivar that will grow to the mature height and spread desired. Fall pruning not only creates an unattractive look for winter but also removes the current year’s growth as a buffer against any potential winter damage. There are two schools of thought when it comes to pruning crepe myrtle trees.

Many crepe myrtles are coming back, producing vigorous shoots sprouting from the base. Cut off suckers from the bottom, rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward. If your crepe myrtle is growing in a place where there is a pathway for people or cars, cut the bottom branches off as close to the trunk as you can.

If your dwarf crape myrtle is young and sparsely branched, with maybe just a few widely spaced stems/branches, you might want to give it a pruning to make it grow more dense. If so, use a pair of bypass hand pruners to cut these long branches. This will give the plant a more uniform appearance.

To remove a faded flower cluster, simply snip it off at its base with a pair of hand pruners. For years, i've suggested this as a great time to prune them because at that time we're also pruning our roses and many other plants and trees in the landscape. The more old wood you remove, the more new growth the plant will have to produce.

If your crepe myrtle grows too big for its spot, move it to where it has more room. Many people prefer this way and think its the way a crape myrtle should be pruned. How to prune a crepe myrtle.

The practice of cutting off the tops of crape myrtle has become very commonplace. If you are removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches, then this can be done at any time of year and should ideally be done as soon as you notice an issue. Pruning crape myrtle bushes helps encourage new growth, improve its appearance, and remove dead branches.

The point is to lift the tree up so the lowest branches are even higher by virtue of removing those below them. The best time to prune your crepe myrtle depends on your reasons for pruning it. Or replace it with a dwarf or semidwarf selection.

Although some gardeners prune their crape myrtles in the fall, i do not recommend doing this. Allow this flush, young growth to continue to grow;

Crepe Myrtles Pruning in late winter, early spring