Pruning crape myrtle bushes

In fact, it may increase it. Excessive pruning also causes the crape myrtle to produce thin, twiggy branches upward from the location of the cut. Gather the following supplies from your garage or a hardware store before you get started: A hand pruner, for pruning small twigs and thin branches.

Loppers, which are used to cut thicker branches that are higher up. Crepe myrtle or crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a shrub or tree you may love or you may hate. You may love the pink, fuchsia, re coral and white blooms, but you may hate the bare branches.

When to prune crepe myrtle is something that every crepe myrtle owner should know if they plan on taking the time to prune a crepe myrtle tree. Choosing the appropriate crepe myrtle pruning time will ensure that the tree stays healthy and beautiful for many years to come. Try to prune later in winter, February is ideal. The methods of pruning dwarf crape myrtle range from easy to not at all.

For starters, the plants really don’t require pruning - they have a slow growth rate and a good natural form all on their own. That being sai I usually do some pruning on mine. The best time to prune crape myrtles is in late winter, before they start growing.

Avoid pruning in the fall, since pruning can stimulate the growth of sprouts that may be killed by the coming cold weather. Crape myrtle covered in blooms.

While pruning crepe myrtle trees is good for helping to keep the tree shaped like you would like it to be, it is not normally necessary to the health of the tree. 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. YEAR 2) - Pruning Tips by IV Organic 3-in-Plant Guard - Duration: 30:56.

Free Shipping on Qualified Orders. The of poor pruning. 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.

Many people prune their crape myrtles improperly thinking it will improve the shape and appearance of the tree or lead to more flowers. In this video, learn the proper way to prune a crape myrtle. Nevertheless, if you are guided through the right steps along with the right pruning tools, everything will be done with ease. That’s why I have provided the things neede the steps to follow and the relevant facts associated with pruning crepe myrtle. I hope it helps you a lot on how to prune crepe myrtle.

Sometimes this treachery was committed because “ crape myrtles bloom on new growth,” as the wisdom went. And while they do bloom on new growth, they also bloom perfectly fine on old growth, thank you very much! Other times, a crape myrtle may be severely pruned to control the tree’s height. In reality this type of severe pruning in a shorter bloom time, delayed flowering, weaker branching, and can increase insect and disease problems.

This practice, known as topping, is harmful to all trees and is never the right way to prune a crape myrtle. A crape myrtle ’s flower buds are produced on new growth. So once new growth starts in the spring, flower buds for the summer will begin to form on current new growth.

When it comes to how to prune crape myrtles, many are not pruned properly. Often you see the tops of crape myrtles cut off so that there are a few large branches left. In truth, a crape myrtle will forgive almost any pruning method.

However, severe pruning leads to lush and rampant growth, which can exacerbate disease and insect problems. Keep in mind that some crapemyrtle varieties will grow into trees and some varieties will only be many-branched shrubs. The method for pruning a lower growing, dwarf, shrub-form crape myrtle is much different than for pruning taller crape myrtle trees.

Plant breeders are continuing to improve and introduce new smaller growing crape myrtles which are useful for planting in smaller garden spaces or for growing in containers. Southern Living celebrates the best of life in the South, both in our content and through publications and programs that enrich the lives of more than million devoted readers. Lofty Goals The objectives of pruning a crepe myrtle are to maintain its natural sculptural form, produce strong branches that hold flowers upright, and open up its center to reveal the smooth, multi-toned bark that forms on mature trunks and branches.