Do crape myrtles need to be pruned? Can they handle hard pruning? Does your neighbor "whack" his tree every spring? How can you achieve that "wow" look by pruning crape myrtles?
One of the most frustrating arguments today is whether or not to prune crape myrtles and how to do the pruning. Some unaware home owners and a few "hackscapers" (those that should know better in the industry) severely prune these trees each winter, and yet they still continue to bloom in the summer. Some people even believe a crape myrtle won't bloom unless it is severely pruned. This is not true. On campus we have over 1500 crape myrtle trees and some of our best blooming trees have rarely been pruned.
In Oxford, MS mid February is generally a good time to prune crape myrtle trees.
Here is what I do to create the "wow appeal" in the front yard of Ole Miss with the crape myrtle trees:
1. Start by removing the sprouts along the trunks and at the base of the tree. (this can be done throughout the year). This creates a nice clean tree trunk!!
2. Next, remove the interior sprouts that grow crosswise inside the tree canopy. I like to leave the vertical and outward leaning grow. This really cleans up the inside of the tree.
3. On smaller trees,the ones that I can reach easily, I will shorten the long arching sprouts back to one-half to one-forth inch in diameter. I will also typically remove the old seed pods. On very tall trees I will skip this step. As long as the tree is getting plenty of sun in the summer, it will bloom.
However, remember that crape myrtle trees do not have to be pruned to bloom.
Crape myrtles are tough and can handle abusive pruning very well. "Hackscapers" prove this every year. Severe pruning (crape murdering) leads to rampant and lush growth which can easily lead to insect or disease issues. After a heavy summer time rain, this lush growth can not support itself and leans down blocking sidewalks and blocking sight lines on streets. Leaving good structured limbs every year helps maintains the upright integrity of the tree.
Let me know your crape myrtle stories good or bad.
Do crape myrtles need to be pruned? Can they handle hard pruning? Does your neighbor "whack" his tree every spring? How can you achieve that "wow" look by pruning crape myrtles?
One of the most frustrating arguments today is whether or not to prune crape myrtles and how to do the pruning. Some unaware home owners and a few "hackscapers" (those that should know better in the industry) severely prune these trees each winter, and yet they still continue to bloom in the summer. Some people even believe a crape myrtle won't bloom unless it is severely pruned. This is not true. On campus we have over 1500 crape myrtle trees and some of our best blooming trees have rarely been pruned.
In Oxford, MS mid February is generally a good time to prune crape myrtle trees.
Here is what I do to create the "wow appeal" in the front yard of Ole Miss with the crape myrtle trees:
1. Start by removing the sprouts along the trunks and at the base of the tree. (this can be done throughout the year). This creates a nice clean tree trunk!!
2. Next, remove the interior sprouts that grow crosswise inside the tree canopy. I like to leave the vertical and outward leaning grow. This really cleans up the inside of the tree.
3. On smaller trees,the ones that I can reach easily, I will shorten the long arching sprouts back to one-half to one-forth inch in diameter. I will also typically remove the old seed pods. On very tall trees I will skip this step. As long as the tree is getting plenty of sun in the summer, it will bloom.
However, remember that crape myrtle trees do not have to be pruned to bloom.
Crape myrtles are tough and can handle abusive pruning very well. "Hackscapers" prove this every year. Severe pruning (crape murdering) leads to rampant and lush growth which can easily lead to insect or disease issues. After a heavy summer time rain, this lush growth can not support itself and leans down blocking sidewalks and blocking sight lines on streets. Leaving good structured limbs every year helps maintains the upright integrity of the tree.
Let me know your crape myrtle stories good or bad.