Should crepe myrtles be topped?

Topping a crape myrtle destroys the natural balance and beauty of the tree. Improperly trimmed multi-trunk crape myrtles have weakend immune responses and cannot fight off disease and insects as well. As the topping continues, the crape myrtles can respond by growing more trunks, worsening the problem.

What happens if you don't prune crepe myrtles?

Leaving it alone will result in a pretty raggedy-looking tree, and it won't grow as quickly either. The new growth will emerge on its own from the fresh cuts, and if you trim at just the right point, you'll encourage way more blooms to appear.

Can you cut the top off a crepe myrtle?

If you need to prune your crapemyrtle tree or shrub, thinning branches to limb up the crapemyrtle is the correct method. Remove lower limbs that are thinner than a pencil diameter. While the plant is young, it is acceptable to prune the top of the branches. When it gets older, this is unacceptable.

When should you top crepe myrtles?

Crape myrtles should be pruned during the winter. Many people prune in late winter, from late February into early March. The important thing to remember is to prune crape myrtles right before new growth begins in the spring. A crape myrtle's flower buds are produced on new growth.

Why do you top crepe myrtles?

Correct crepe myrtle care yields gracefully shaped trees with more flowers blooming on stronger stems. In fact, one study found that severely topping crepe myrtles caused six times more dead wood to develop than trees that are pruned properly, and those trees required more annual maintenance.

How To Properly Prune Crape Myrtle Trees Planted in Small Spaces

How do you control the height of a crepe myrtle?

Remove extraneous or interior branches that might cross between trunks or rub against each other, cut low branches to encourage vertical growth and prune unwanted new trunks to the ground. Eliminate any growth equal to or less than pencil width to prioritize nutrients to the main branches.

How tall should crepe myrtles be?

The common crapemyrtle grows to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 6–15' at maturity.

Do you prune crape myrtle trees?

When should I prune? Crapemyrtle trees bloom on the new growth, so any pruning that is needed should be done prior to new growth beginning—for most of the south, this will be from mid February through mid March.

How do you keep crepe myrtles blooming?

Crape myrtles require eight hours of direct sun daily to bloom well. Crape myrtles planted in areas that receive less than six hours of direct sun do not get enough sunlight for adequate bloom development. – Variety. Some varieties don't flower as vigorously as others.

How late can you trim crepe myrtles?

Pruning as late as May will likely cause some delay in bloom time, and pruning later than May may delay bloom noticeably but will not harm the tree. Any branches you leave untouched will be unaffected, so as with any tree, removing poorly placed or dead/broken branches can be done at any time.

How do you shape a crape myrtle?

Selectively prune upper branches along each stem to shape a flowing, open canopy. Remove branches that cross one another or grow through the interior of the crown. As the crapemyrtle grows, continue to remove lower branches and any suckers that emerge from the base of the plant.

Can you cut crepe myrtles below the knot?

Cutting crepe myrtle knots doesn't resolve the problem. If you cut below the knot, a new knot forms in its place. The tree never reverts to its naturally beautiful shape, but through proper pruning of a crepe myrtle tree, you may be able to make the knots less noticeable.

How do you prune a big crepe myrtle?

Should crepe myrtles be trimmed every year?

Also, crepe myrtles need minimal pruning. Some gardeners top them annually, but this ruins their natural shape and beauty. Remove the sucker growth that sometimes appears around the base. Only prune to shape trees or to take out any cross branching.

When should you deadhead crepe myrtles?

Follow these tips when deadheading crape myrtles: July Deadline: If the blooms on your crape myrtles are already fading by the end of July, deadheading can encourage another (probably smaller) bloom in late summer.

Why are my crepe myrtles not blooming?

Fertilizer. If that crape myrtle is getting plenty of sunshine and still not blooming, it could be a lack of phosphorus. Checking the soil around the tree may prove this out. OR too much nitrogen may be the problem; both of these situations cause no blooms.

Will a crepe myrtle bloom twice a year?

You Really Can Have Two Bloom Cycles on Crepe Myrtles. Some years, the first bloom cycle of crepe myrtles lasts a month or more.

Should seed pods be removed from crepe myrtle?

The balls at the end of crape myrtle branches are seed pods that formed from the flowers last summer. They do not hurt the tree and will not affect flowering this summer. A: The short answer is no. You do not need to cut off the balls at the end of the branches.

Can you cut back a crepe myrtle in the summer?

Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) signal the beginning of summer with a profusion of colorful flower clusters.

What month do crepe myrtles bloom?

Blooms then follow around the end of May or early June. Expect leaves about a month after the last frost as a rule of thumb. Furthermore, allow about two months after this for flowers to develop. For example, in zone 8, the latest frost date is March 28th.

What is the difference between a crepe myrtle bush and a crepe myrtle tree?

Crape Myrtle Bush Vs.

The difference between the crape myrtle bush and the crape myrtle tree is that the tree is taller than crape myrtle bush. Crape myrtle bushes have multiple stems and their height is between 2 and 15 ft. (0.6 – 4.5 m). Crape myrtle trees can be as much as 20 ft.

How long do crepe myrtles live?

Lifespan of Crepe Myrtle

Crepe myrtles live quite a few years if you take care of them. A crepe myrtle lifespan can exceed 50 years. So that's the answer to the question “how long do crepe myrtle trees live?” They can live a good, long time with suitable care.

Can you trim crepe myrtles with a chainsaw?

You must understand a Crepe Myrtle is a tree, not a shrub. Therefore, do not take a chainsaw and cut all limbs off shoulder high. This is not the correct way to prune a Crepe Myrtle. Treat the plant as a tree.

What tool do you use to trim crepe myrtles?

You're best off using anvil- or bypass-type hand pruners for cutting through crape myrtle branches with a diameter of up to 3/4 inch. Lopping shears, or loppers, have longer handles for greater leverage and reach, and can cut through branches up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter.