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If you need to prune your crapemyrtle tree or shrub, thinning branches to limb up the crapemyrtle is the correct method. Remove lower limbs that are thinner than a pencil diameter. While the plant is young, it is acceptable to prune the top of the branches. When it gets older, this is unacceptable.
How do you trim a crape myrtle?
How far can you cut back a crepe myrtle?
As your Crape myrtle grows, it will be necessary to remove low branches to raise the canopy. Do this by pruning out the side branches on the main trunks – do this up to a height of about four to six feet, but not up to a height of more than half of the total tree height.
What happens if you don’t trim crepe myrtles?
Leaving it alone will result in a pretty raggedy-looking tree, and it won’t grow as quickly either. The new growth will emerge on its own from the fresh cuts, and if you trim at just the right point, you’ll encourage way more blooms to appear.
What month do you trim crepe myrtles?
When to Prune? If you do choose to prune your crepe myrtles, pruning should take place in mid-February to avoid winter injury. Pruning should be done only to shape the tree; not to severely control plant height. Pruning is also not necessary for blooming.
How do you trim a tall crepe myrtle tree?
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.
What is the lifespan of a crepe myrtle tree?
Lifespan – When planted in full sun and fertile soil, Crepe Myrtles can live well beyond 50 years. In fact, dotted along the southeastern landscape, it is common to come across specimens over 100 years old.
Should crepe myrtles be topped?
Topping a crape myrtle destroys the natural balance and beauty of the tree. Improperly trimmed multi-trunk crape myrtles have weakend immune responses and cannot fight off disease and insects as well. As the topping continues, the crape myrtles can respond by growing more trunks, worsening the problem.
Can I cut my crepe myrtle to the ground?
Crepe myrtles will grow back when cut, although it isn’t necessary to prune them all the way down to the ground.
Can you cut back a crepe myrtle in the summer?
Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Floridata notes that some cultivars continue to bloom for as long as 120 days, making this tree or large shrub a popular landscape plant.
Is it too late to trim crepe myrtle?
It’s not too late to prune your crape myrtles now. If leaves have not yet or have just barely appeared, you’re safe to prune with little effect. Pruning as late as May will likely cause some delay in bloom time, and pruning later than May may delay bloom noticeably but will not harm the tree.
Can you prune crepe myrtles in April?
Generally, Crape Myrtles in the fall should be left to grow. A rule of green thumb: The ideal time to prune will be late winter, February or March, however you can wait until April to prune your Crape Myrtle if you live in milder growing zones.
How do you prune a crepe myrtle in Georgia?
If you choose to prune however, follow the simple steps: First, remove suckers from the base of the plant. Second, as the tree grows, remove lower branches form the bottom third of the tree to expose the trunk character. Last, remove crowded or crossing branches from the canopy.
Do Crepe Myrtles need deadheading?
Cut off spent crape myrtle blossoms by late July to encourage flowering again. Deadheading crape myrtles (removing dead or dying flowers) encourages new sprouts and blooms, but if you deadhead too late in the season, the tender new growth that is produced can be damaged by cold weather.
Why is bark peeling off Crepe Myrtle?
However, you should know that peeling bark on crepe myrtle is normal. It occurs after the tree has reached full maturity, which may be a several years after you plant it. They are often prized because of the coloration that shows up on their wood once the bark is shed.
Why do you trim Crepe Myrtles?
Crape myrtles bloom on new growth, so prune them in early spring before they break dormancy. 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.
Can I prune my crepe myrtle in January?
The proper time to prune crape myrtle is late winter (January-February). Since crape myrtles form their flowers on new growth, there is no danger of removing already-formed buds.
Why are my crepe myrtles not blooming?
If no flowers appear, it can be because the tree was pruned late in the season, mistakenly removing the new wood which causes the buds for the flowers to never really develop. Never prune a crape myrtle BEFORE it blooms.
How do I get more flowers on my crepe myrtle?
If you have an older crepe myrtle that doesn’t bloom the way you think it should, wait until after crepe myrtle bloom time and encourage the crepe myrtle bloom by pruning it carefully. If you trim away any of the dead branches that are inside the tree, this allows more sunshine and air to reach the tree.
Should I cut the seed pods off crepe myrtle?
The balls at the end of crape myrtle branches are seed pods that formed from the flowers last summer. They do not hurt the tree and will not affect flowering this summer. You do not need to cut off the balls at the end of the branches. These are seed pods that formed from the flowers last summer.
How many times a year do crepe myrtles bloom?
You Really Can Have Two Bloom Cycles on Crepe Myrtles. Some years, the first bloom cycle of crepe myrtles lasts a month or more. Other years, it seems to go away far too soon.
