The neighbors might be pruning crape myrtle incorrectly , but that does n’t think of you should butcher yours , too .
Ginny Weiler
Perhaps no shrub or treesuffers from the pruning mistreatmentthat crepe myrtles do . You ’ve seen the victims : lofty crape myrtle hacked down to outrageous 3 - foot high stump by ill-conceived homeowners and landscape gardening crews . It ’s such a far-flung job that there ’s a name forpruning these treesincorrectly : crape murder .
Credit:Ginny Weiler
So when , why , and how should you prune your crape myrtle ? This guide explain everything you require to know , and supply tips from an expert .
Ralph Mitchell is Director of the University of Florida ’s Extension Office in Charlotte County , Florida .
Tips for Pruning Crape Myrtle
French pancake myrtle trees actuallyneed very little pruning . So why is crape murder so far-flung ?
“ mass just do n’t understand how to prune crape myrtle , ” says Ralph Mitchell , Director of the University of Florida ’s Extension Office in Charlotte County , Florida . “ They unremarkably cut way too much off them and harm the plant . Less is more is my mantra when it come to pruning crape myrtles . ”
Your objectives when cut back a crape myrtle are to maintain its natural strain , encourage it to grow potent branches , and open up up its center to show off the smooth , multi - hued bark that grow on mature automobile trunk . And let these tips guide your pruning shears as you cultivate toward these destination .
Credit:Erica George Dines
1. Prune crape myrtle in winter.
The best fourth dimension for pruning crepe Vinca minor is late winter because it ’s easy to see all the branches before it has sprouted foliage . crepe myrtles bloom on new growth , so there ’s nodanger of ruining spring flowers . Late winter pruning may spur more bloom by encourage the works to put its vigour into its bloom instead of its offshoot .
2. Do not lop off the top.
Do not behead yourcrape myrtle . “ That ’s what we call crape execution , ” Mitchell read . Top the crape myrtle and you ’ll make the hapless plant wait like a shapeless package of frightful ambo , stunt its increment , and keep it from turn the lovely , papery barque that grow on fledged trees and provides wintertime pursuit . “ top a French pancake Vinca minor can lead to disease and disintegration and taking that much wood off the tree can stress it , ” Mitchell says . “ Do n’t do it , top-flight is painful . ”
3. Prune lightly.
Prune off anydead or dying branchesor branches that have cover one another . “ Remove branch that are crowded so air and sunlight can get to the midriff of the crape myrtle , ” Mitchell says . The finish is to keep healthy , well - space trunks that make up the main computer architecture of the tree . “ Never get rid of more than 25 percent of the tree in one pruning , ” Mitchell says . Over - pruning can detain flowering , stress the tree , and chair todiseased woods in the stem and trunkbecause you transfer the plant life ’s store food reserves .
Erica George Dines
4. Limit the number of trunks to 3 to 5.
Crape myrtles are course multi - trunked trees with an umbrella - like figure , but purpose to limit the number of main trunk to three to five . Do n’t lease it turn more than seven . few trunks tame the French pancake Vinca minor ’s overspread and give it a adorable form .
Some hoi polloi cut down crape myrtle trees to a exclusive trunk , but you will involve to do this when it ’s a young plant and select a mixed bag with a more unsloped habit , like Natchez , Twilight Magic , and Tuscarora . Single - trunk crepe myrtle can fit out into a tighter spaces .
5. Cut off the suckers.
Remove suckers from the base of the tree . This is the new growth that emerges from the tooth root , and you should snip them off . “ You do n’t want those to become a mass of raw Sir Henry Wood , ” Mitchell read . They take vigor from the main plant and if leave to mature into offshoot will move around the crape Vinca minor into a sprawl , misshapen deal .
6. Don’t remove seed pods.
you may cut back offold seed podsbut it ’s not necessary , Mitchell says . Some people think the crape Vinca minor wo n’t bloom next yr if the seed seedpod are left on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , but that is not true . The crape myrtle will bloom all right .
While it ’s okay to leave seed pods on crepe myrtle tree , if you murder themin early summertime , right after the French pancake myrtles bloom , you may get a second flower in the fall .
Andre Baranowski
Credit:Andre Baranowski
Restoring a Butchered Crape Myrtle
Let ’s say you have a crape Vinca minor that has been crepe murdered and is now a bunch of trunks standing a few feet off the basis . Here ’s how to remedy the situation and continue rationalise crape Vinca minor trees correctly :
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a pruning saw for the largest branches , loppers for intermediate - size branches , and small manus pruners for small branch . “ If you need to get on a ladder to prune the tree , call a certified tree surgeon , ” Mitchell says .
No , crape myrtles do not need pruning every year . Keep an eye out for suckers or crossing branches , which can have a farsighted - terminal figure negative impact on your tree ’s shape and health , and withdraw those as needed . But crape Vinca minor are felicitous with little intervention from you and your pruners .
citizenry top crepe myrtles because they see their neighbors do it and cipher it ’s the right way tocare for their tree . Some people also select a species of crape myrtle that ’s too big for the spot it ’s in . When it reaches its mature height , they do an utmost cut to make it fit where it ’s plant . “ ’ Right plant life , correct place , ’ goes a long way to avoiding crepe murder , ” Mitchell say .
Late wintertime is the best time to prune them , but you could still prune your crape Vinca minor in former spring without much impact on flowering . A late natural spring prune my delay blooms . Do not prune French pancake myrtle in the crepuscule because you might motivate the tree to put out new outgrowth just in time for it todie in the first freeze .
