Remove any future growth from the ground to retain the desired tree shape. This basal sprouting may occur whether the tree has been pruned or not. When possible, pull these sprouts out while still succulent, instead of pruning them maintain a smoother, cleaner trunk base.
When removing seed heads or heading back a branch, make the cut just above a lateral bud. This is recommended only if they are within reach. Once it becomes a tall, mature plant, allow nature to take its course — the seed heads will drop, the plant will bloom, and the natural grace of the plant will be retained. Flowers on crape myrtle are produced on new growth. Although it will produce larger flowers and bloom more profusely if lightly pruned, crape myrtle will produce plenty of flowers without any pruning.
If pruning is necessary to stimulate new growth, prune in late winter or early spring. On smaller plants, encourage a second bloom in summer by pruning flowers immediately after they fade. A common misconception is that a tree will flower better if severely pruned. This photo shows the flowering of a pruned left versus an unpruned right tree. When confronted with a large, old crape myrtle that has overgrown its space, consider all options prior to settling on top pruning.
If lower limbs are interfering with people or cars, limb up lower limbs to create clearance under the canopy. If lower limbs obstruct windows or doors, prune limbs up to above the roofline of single story homes. But it helps to identify which pruning style meets your ideal look, so keep reading to find out more about the three main pruning styles. 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.
Why is the case? First you'll need to remove any extra stems protruding from the ground, as well as any suckers. If you choose the single trunk method its best to start while the Crape Myrtle tree is younger as more established trees most likely can not be retroactively pruned to this style and shape.
The multi trunk look for Crape Myrtles is probably the most common professional trimming approach. It is relied upon by lawn care services all over the country to establish beautiful Crape Myrtle bushes full of blooms each spring and summer for their clients.
So you might not know this but allowing your Crape Myrtle to grow into its natural shape has been the trend in recent years. So the good news is you can tell that to your neighbors and even better this approach requires little to no pruning. It's easy.. Just allow your plant to branch and spread naturally.
Your Crape Myrtle will still bloom and be beautiful so long as it's watered and fertilized properly. Crape Myrtles are one of the most resilient and prune-able plants I have ever seen. So its really just a matter of your preference how much time and effort you are willing to invest into heir pruning and care. There's really no "wrong" way to do it, so experiment and have fun!
Powered by Froala Editor. At GreenPal, we're helping hundreds of thousands of Americans solve one of the trickiest problems: a reliable, fast, and affordable way to get lawncare taken care of. Please feel free to say hi on Twitter or connect with me on LinkedIn. Follow me on:. Don't make these 4 mistakes. Share this article. Subscribe our blog. Grass Seed vs. 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.
By doing this, you can sometimes get three or even four blooming periods from your plant each year. To prune for improved flower production, simple cut away spent blooms when they fade to fruits or seed pods. The seed pods can also be quite heavy and might drag down your tree branches under their weight, and this is another reason that is in favor of pruning the crepe myrtle.
Certainly, in older varieties of crepe myrtle, the tree should have its branches thinned out to ensure good airflow to prevent disease. However, most modern cultivars of crepe myrtle are disease resistant, and so this is not an issue, and the thinning out of twigs is no longer recommended as essential. If your crepe myrtle does seem to be getting too densely branched, you can prune away some of the branches to allow more light in.
This should be done during the winter when the tree is dormant so that its growth is not affected. Use some sharp shears or a pruning saw to remove occasional branches; these should be younger branches that do not have a very thick diameter. The best practice to ensure good shape and health is to remove all of the tips of the tree. This is a time-consuming process that might be difficult if the tree is very large, and you cannot reach all areas of it. However, if possible, this is the best option for reducing the size of the tree.
These stumped branches will produce new twigs, and each year you should remove the twigs and cut back to the same place you previously cut. This will allow you to maintain the tree at a certain size quite easily, but it will not look as attractive as before. Prune away the long, dormant limbs that grew during the summer and remove all the seed pods. If a year or two of pruning is skipped, or if you purchase property that has existing overgrown crape myrtles on it, you may have to do a more severe pruning to bring the flowering shrub back to its original glory.
Leave main stems and prune away all other low growth, which will be sucker growth on the bush. After you have removed all of the extra growth, decide on the height that you want the crape myrtle bush to be, then prune the remaining stems at that height in a formation similar to an open umbrella.
The center branch of the crape myrtle should be the highest, with the side branches slightly lower in descending order on each side. Prune the stem off flat at the desired height.
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