When is the best time to trim crepe myrtles?
And how far do i trim them back? They are 3 years old and from 3-T0 5 FT. Tall
2 answers
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I trim mine in early to mid-February, usually around Valentine's Day, and I am not far from you. Crepe myrtles actually need very little pruning. My crepe myrtle is now almost 12 feet high and it will take maybe 10 minutes to do all that needs to be done. A well-pruned crepe myrtle has a beautiful open vase shape in winter. The wholesale chopping back of these plants by all too many landscape companies is a practice known as crepe murder. According to the University of Florida, when you prune crepe myrtles you should: •Remove suckers from the bottom of the plant. •Remove crossed, damaged, or diseased branches. •For crossed branches, remove the weaker of the two limbs that are crossing or rubbing. •Prune the tips of the branches to remove old flowers. •Thin out small twiggy growth to allow air to better circulate in the canopy. That's it. For more, see: http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/crape_murder.html
Douglas Hunt
on Dec 26, 2014
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I have some that are at least 70 yrs old! They are now beautiful trees. Don't cut back! Ours haven't been. Get rid of suckers. Maybe lower branches. That's it!
STORM COSBY
on Dec 27, 2014
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