When should you trim crepe myrtle bushes?
If you do choose to prune your crepe myrtles, pruning should take place in mid-February to avoid winter injury. Pruning should be done only to shape the tree; not to severely control plant height. Pruning is also not necessary for blooming.
How do you prune a crape myrtle bush?
How to Trim a Crepe Myrtle Bush
- Remove the sprouts or suckers that are growing near the base of the shrub.
- Cut off the interior sprouts that grow crosswise and shoots growing into the center of the shrub.
- Remove dead branches and dried flower heads.
- Cut back long, vertical branches to improve shaping.
Should crepe myrtle bushes be pruned?
Also, crepe myrtles need minimal pruning. Some gardeners top them annually, but this ruins their natural shape and beauty. Only prune to shape trees or to take out any cross branching. In the winter, you can remove old seedpods by clipping the tips of branches.
How do you take care of a crepe myrtle bush?
How to Care for Crape Myrtle
- Find Full Sunlight. Crape myrtle needs full sun (6 or more hours per day) to thrive.
- Use Suitable Soil.
- Fertilize Lightly.
- Treat Fungus Before It Starts.
- Prune Sparingly in Winter or Early Spring.
- Expose the Trunk for More Beauty.
- Deadhead for Even More Flowers.
What is the difference between a crepe myrtle bush and a crepe myrtle tree?
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. Crape myrtle trees can be as much as 20 ft. (6 m) taller than the bushes.
How tall do dwarf crape myrtle trees get?
Not only do they differ in bloom and leaf color, but also in mature size. Dwarf varieties only grow to a height of 4 feet or less. Semi-Dwarf varieties grow 4 to 8 feet tall. Large or Tree Crapemyrtle reaches a height of 10 to 20 feet.
Can I trim crepe myrtles in summer?
Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Floridata notes that some cultivars continue to bloom for as long as 120 days, making this tree or large shrub a popular landscape plant.
What is a myrtle bush?
Myrtle (Myrtus communis) is a small-leaved, aromatic evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean. Reaching a height of 15 feet with a spread of 20 feet when fully mature, myrtle bears black berries and can be a specimen plant, topiary, screen or hedge.
When should you prune a crape myrtle tree?
When To Prune Crepe Myrtle Trees: Crepe Myrtle Pruning should ideally be done after the last frost of winter. Around our area that usually takes place in mid-April. Unlike other flowering trees, Crepe Myrtle blooms do not grow off of last year’s growth.
How and when to prune crape myrtles?
The best month to prune crape myrtles is February, when the shrub is fully dormant and the branches are leafless and exposed. The naked branches give you a view of the structure and frame of the shrub. This is the month to prune out the interior of the plant, if needed, to improve air circulation.
How long does a crapemyrtle take to grow?
The largest crapemyrtles are usually single-trunk types. They are trained to grow as trees and can reach heights of over 40 feet, although most average between 20 and 30 feet. It takes these trees between 10 and 20 years or longer to grow to maturity.
When to fertilize crepe myrtle?
Fertilize a new crape myrtle in early spring, beginning in March or early April. Add 1 teaspoon of a general-purpose fertilize once a month until August, spreading the fertilizer evenly over the soil around the plant.