When And How To Prune Your Crape Myrtle
What other flowering tree can actually compete with the beautiful crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) for vibrant summer color? So popular and perfect for Central Virginia, crape myrtles are also drought-tolerant and thrive in heat and humidity. Although Cardinal Home Center does not sell plants or trees, we DO have tools and terrific advice on when and how to prune your crape myrtle. Hopefully, the following information will help you do the job in a snap!
Crape myrtles are very popular for homeowners, but many do not know how to prune correctly. Good pruning yields gracefully shaped trees with more abundant blooms that stand upright, and flowers bloom sooner on a well-pruned tree. Because crape myrtles bloom on new growth, try to prune them in early spring before they break dormancy. Fall pruning is not preferred because it removes the current year’s growth as a buffer against potential winter damage. Proper pruning, while crape myrtles are young, will mean less maintenance when the trees are more mature. Warning! Your tree won’t look great when you’re done pruning this month, (in fact, proper crape myrtle pruning has often been referred to as “crape murder”), BUT the results this summer will make it all worth it! Do these five things:
Maintain shape
For most crape myrtles, there will be three to seven main trunks. Having an odd number of trunks will be more pleasing to the eye than an even number. Be sure to keep the trunks that have ample space to grow and are growing straight and strong. Trim away the others.
See our STIHL page for information on the best trimmers
Keep it clean
Prune back any additional trunks as close to the soil line as possible. Leaving it above ground will look ugly and also leave a potential entry for insects and diseases.
Remove low branches
Branching should begin 6 to 8 feet off the ground – this makes the tree look better and is more practical to do. If you don’t need to walk under the branches or see through them to view oncoming traffic, you can allow the branching to start lower. Prune unwanted low branches all the way back to the main trunk.
Shape the crown
The upper branches look better if they aren’t crowded. Make cuts slightly above a bud that points in the direction where your new branch will grow. Try to remove limbs that cross back through the plant or rub against each other — wind movement and growth can cause these branches to wound each other, and you will eventually lose one or both.
Prune away any weak growth
You should prune out any branches that are smaller in diameter than a dime. Thinner branches will not be able to hold up the flower growth.
Now that you know when and how to trim your crape myrtle, you should also know that Cardinal Home Center offers their terrific trimmers from STIHL (in Madison) and Milwaukee (in Madison and Crozet). Or, if you want to trim by hand, we sell several types of super-sharp pruners. Count on Cardinal for supplies and advice that will help you finish your home projects in a jiffy.
