What month should crepe myrtles be pruned?

What month should crepe myrtles be pruned?

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.

What happens if you don’t cut back crepe myrtles?

Many varieties have beautiful bark and growth habits that can be enjoyed all year if trees are not heavily pruned. This unsightly, ugly pruning known as crape murder is not recommended. Once it’s done, it ruins the tree’s graceful natural shape for the rest of its life.

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.

What do you do with crepe myrtles in the winter?

Preparing Your Crape Myrtle for Winter

  1. We recommend feeding your plant with a fertilizer, like Espoma Holly-tone.
  2. Make sure there is 2 – 3″ of mulch over the root system.
  3. Be observant.
  4. If your Crape Myrtle has a number of spent blossoms, you can remove these blossoms after the Crape Myrtle has dropped its leaves.

How do you shape a crepe myrtle tree?

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).

How far can you cut back a crepe myrtle?

Select four or five well-spaced main trunks; remove any others at ground level. Train these trunks to grow upward and outward from the base of the plant. As they grow taller, gradually remove all side branches up to a height of four to five feet.

Can crepe myrtles survive a freeze?

Crape myrtles can tolerate temperatures as low as approximately 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Below-zero temperatures and hard freezes may cause crape myrtles to die back during the winter.

How far back can you cut crepe myrtles?

Crape myrtles have the potential to be wonderful small trees if they aren’t chopped to their knees annually. Luckily, crape myrtles are resilient and can tolerate the topping or shearing that some folks insist on giving them. Here are the downsides to pruning a crape myrtle back to an ugly 3- to 4-foot nub every year.

How and when to prune crape myrtles?

The best month to prune crape myrtles is February, when the shrub is fully dormant and the branches are leafless and exposed. The naked branches give you a view of the structure and frame of the shrub. This is the month to prune out the interior of the plant, if needed, to improve air circulation.

When to prune crepe myrtle trees?

When To Prune Crepe Myrtle Trees: Crepe Myrtle Pruning should ideally be done after the last frost of winter. Around our area that usually takes place in mid-April. Unlike other flowering trees, Crepe Myrtle blooms do not grow off of last year’s growth.

How do you prune a crape myrtle?

Pruning the Crepe Myrtle Stand back and observe how the crepe myrtle is growing. Prune small sprouts at bottom of tree first. Cut side branches. Prune out dead and crossing branches. Cut long or arching branches back to where they are no more than 1/2-inch in diameter.

When to prune crape myrtles in Georgia?

In Georgia, typically January or February is the best time to prune your crape myrtle trees. This video covers the simple process of pruning your crape myrtles.

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