What month should crepe myrtles be cut back?
What month should crepe myrtles be cut back?
Early spring before new growth is the best time to prune crape myrtles. Whenever you prune, you cause the tree to generate new growth. New growth that starts now will not have time to harden off before frost.
How do you take care of a crepe myrtle in Florida?
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.
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.
Does crepe myrtle do well in Florida?
The crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is one of the most beautiful and popular flowering trees in Florida. Its blooms are large and long-lasting (up to one hundred days), and the tree has great fall color and attractive bark. It prefers a sunny, well-drained site and is relatively pest- and disease-free.
What happens if you don’t prune crepe myrtles?
Many varieties have beautiful bark and growth habits that can be enjoyed all year if trees are not heavily pruned. This unsightly, ugly pruning known as crape murder is not recommended. Once it’s done, it ruins the tree’s graceful natural shape for the rest of its life.
Can you trim crepe myrtles in the summer?
Should crepe myrtles be trimmed every year?
Growing Conditions 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.
Can I trim crepe myrtles in April?
Dormancy continues into March and sometimes April. By May, crape myrtles are showing new growth and beginning to set buds for flowers. Limit aesthetic pruning to March or early April, cutting only those branches that do not yet show new growth. Cutting new growth at this time decreases the summer’s flower production.
When should I prune my crape myrtle?
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.
How do you prune a crape myrtle?
To prune a mature crepe myrtle, you’re going to need a few different types of pruning tools. Gather the following supplies from your garage or a hardware store before you get started: A hand pruner, for pruning small twigs and thin branches. Loppers, which are used to cut thicker branches that are higher up.
When can you cut back crepe myrtles?
Some people prune off dead wood and cut branches from their crape myrtles late in the fall before the first frost and after the last of the blooms have faded. This should only be done if you live in the mildest areas of the plant’s hardiness zones.
When should crepe myrtles be pruned?
Pruning crepe myrtles is not a difficult task, as long as it is done at the proper time and with the proper tools. The ideal time to prune is late winter or early spring as the plant flowers on new growth. Pruning in December or November may cause the plant to start branching out before the winter is done.