how to properly trim a crepe myrtle tree

Depending on the climate of your area pruning should take place in late winter or early spring. Many people cut their crape myrtles down to a nub which is an eyesore in more than one way.

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While thinning of the limbs every couple of years will promote new blooming and growth you need to prune only the limbs which have a diameter of less than the width of a pencil.

. Go sparingly and avoid pruning anything larger than the diameter of your finger. Trim during dormancy only - usually during the winter. With proper pruning any of our beautiful sizes and varieties can become a single stem plant.

Heres the cheat sheet for how to trim a crape myrtle. Decide what are branches and what are the trunks of the tree. To prune crepe myrtle Rogers says to start with a pair of sharp pruning shears that youve wiped down with rubbing alcohol rinsed and dried.

Toppingcommonly called crape murdercan be very damaging to the tree. Cut off suckers from the bottom rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward. Now that you have a vision in your mind and are working with the proper tools.

Also trim any new growth that appears on the stem that may turn into a branch. This video shows the proper way to prune a Crape Myrtle tree that was wrongfully planted in a place not allowing for a natural growth pattern. Feel free to use it as a reference.

Appropriate tools for pruning a Crape Myrtle include hand pruners for twigs and small branches loppers for medium-thick branches and pole pruners for the larger bunch. Hand Pruners to clip twigs and branches less than 12-inch thick. Consequences of Severe Pruning.

This includes any suckers. Put the chainsaw away and only use hand shears loppers and a hand saw. Hand shears help with cutting smaller pieces of the tree loppers help by removing slightly larger limbs and the hand saw is for the biggest pieces of the crepe myrtle you intend to remove.

Hand pruners to clip twigs and branches less than 12-inch thick. Crape myrtle lagerstroemia indica crape myrtles are popular landscape trees. Next move to the canopy of the tree.

By removing limbs that go Finally prune off the 2 1 2. SEE FOLLOW UP. Dont top the tree a few feet off the ground.

Loppers to cut branches 12-inch to 1-12 inches thick. Crepe myrtles will grow multiple trunks so you need to. Gradually cut off all side branches from the main base as the tree gets taller.

You want all of your branching to occur on the top quarter of the tree. Unfortunately many homeowners and landscape professionals prune crapemyrtle trees too severely see an example of this in the photograph. This video shows the proper way to prune a Crape Myrtle tree that was wrongfully planted in a place not allowing for a natural growth pattern.

It is important not to go overboard when cutting back the trees pretty branches. Finally prune off the 2 1 2. Trim it correctly and youll be enjoying the wonderful blooms all season long.

Cut off any unwanted suckers growing out of the roots or the base of the tree. Crape myrtle trees can be as tall as 20 feet taller than bushes with some of the trees getting all the way to 35 feet high. It should definitely happen before the first blooms start to grow.

Muskogee crape is a tall and magnificent tree that grows up to 5 feet every year. Never leave lone or clustered stubs. Then go a foot further out along the branch and cut all the way through the branch from the top.

Simply remove any extra stems protruding from the ground. If you keep them as it is itll lead to poor new growth which will make it difficult for your crepe myrtle tree to support flowers. Pole Pruners or a pruning saw to cut branches more than 1-12 inches thick.

Pole pruners or a pruning saw to cut branches more than 1-12 inches thick. Use one of 3 methods - Single Trunk Multi-Stem or Natural. Crape myrtles are typically trained to growth with a single stem or are multi-stemmed with no more than about.

- httpgooglJJ5WqYLearn how to properly prune your crepe myrtles with these tips strai. He offers these tips on how to proceed with pruning. Be sure to remove unwanted branches before they get too thick thickness of a pencil.

About 1 1 2 feet out from the trunk make the first cut from underneath the branch sawing up halfway through the branch. You will want to step back take a good look at the tree and make a plan dont just jump in and start cutting. Trim the edges of the plant to give the crepe myrtle a rounded smooth.

Want to see more Southern Living videos. Aggressively pruning thicker wood from crepe myrtle is a habit. To begin the pruning start by removing the suckers at the base of the tree.

To properly prune a mature crepe myrtle you need three tools. Subscribe to our channel. This practice results in a witchs broom appearance and a tree that is no longer in proportion.

Trim Your Crape Myrtles Like A Pro Don T Make These 4 Mistakes Lagerstroemia Crape Myrtle Crepe Myrtle Trees

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