Do You Trim Crepe Myrtle Bushes
The trend to drastically cut back a crepe myrtle by entirely lopping off the upper section led to the coining of the term crepe murder which refers to the way many people find the winter stumps of crepe myrtle to be unattractive.
Do you trim crepe myrtle bushes. Depending on your climate there are two times of the year that you can do a heavy annual pruning of your crape. Each plant is different. In fact it may increase it.
If yours are way out of control then a chainsaw might be necessary in the most extreme cases. Crepe myrtles respond well to pruning which is best done in mid-winter when trees are bare of leaves. For starters the plants really dont require pruning - they have a slower growth rate than their larger growing cousins and usually have a good natural form all on their own.
If the branches are less than 12 inch thick use the hand pruners. If youre growing crepe myrtle in Zones 5 or 6 you may want to wait until March to prune. Below we have provided some example of a.
Most crepe myrtles however do tend to be pruned so this form will be changed somewhat by the pruning. Late winter right now is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle because its leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. You can leave the seed pods alone.
The methods of pruning dwarf crape myrtle range from easy to not at all. If you wish you can cut them back much harder than this they ll send out long. You can see the branches and twigs better before its all filled in.
Properly pruning you crape myrtle will maximize blooms promote new growth and give your plant a great shape. Crapemyrtle trees bloom on the new growth so any pruning that is needed should be done prior to new growth beginningfor most of the south this will be from mid February through mid March. Crape myrtles Lagerstroemia spp signal the.
If you have already got a crepe myrtle taking up too much space in your yard then pruning might be necessary for your situation.
Do you trim crepe myrtle bushes. Below we have provided some example of a. Or cut them and bring them indoors for an attractive container filler. Properly pruning you crape myrtle will maximize blooms promote new growth and give your plant a great shape.
You can see the branches and twigs better before its all filled in. Each plant is different. Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees unless you wait until after they bloom.
In Zones 7 and higher this will probably be January or February. Crepe myrtles respond well to pruning which is best done in mid-winter when trees are bare of leaves. It also blooms on new growth so pruning now wont reduce blooming.
Crapemyrtles are often one of the last plants to begin growing in the garden waiting on warmer temperatures. Crapemyrtle trees bloom on the new growth so any pruning that is needed should be done prior to new growth beginningfor most of the south this will be from mid February through mid March. So with that being said it pays to prune your Crape Myrtles in the winter months as soon as November at as late at March when they are dormant.
For starters the plants really dont require pruning - they have a slower growth rate than their larger growing cousins and usually have a good natural form all on their own. Late winter right now is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle because its leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. So dont worry if February is slipping away on you.
The new growth tends to be whippy and the stems squarish while the trunk can become quite stout with age. Pruning is done in winter when the plant is dormant between the months of December and February. Crepe myrtle should be pruned right before it comes out of dormancy or right before the first appearance of new growth.
Pruning is done in winter when the plant is dormant between the months of December and February.
Do you trim crepe myrtle bushes. So dont worry if February is slipping away on you. The new growth tends to be whippy and the stems squarish while the trunk can become quite stout with age. It also blooms on new growth so pruning now wont reduce blooming.
Properly pruning you crape myrtle will maximize blooms promote new growth and give your plant a great shape. In Zones 7 and higher this will probably be January or February. To keep them compact trim back branches by about 30cm all over.
If youre growing crepe myrtle in Zones 5 or 6 you may want to wait until March to prune. If the branches are less than 12 inch thick use the hand pruners. Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees unless you wait until after they bloom.
So with that being said it pays to prune your Crape Myrtles in the winter months as soon as November at as late at March when they are dormant. Crapemyrtles are often one of the last plants to begin growing in the garden waiting on warmer temperatures. Crepe myrtle should be pruned right before it comes out of dormancy or right before the first appearance of new growth.
As the tree gets a little older one of its features. Most crepe myrtles however do tend to be pruned so this form will be changed somewhat by the pruning. The good news is most Crape Myrtles can be pruned with hand held shears or long handles loppers.
Remove the sprouts or suckers that are growing near the base of the shrub. If yours are way out of control then a chainsaw might be necessary in the most extreme cases. Depending on your climate there are two times of the year that you can do a heavy annual pruning of your crape.