Prunning Crape Myrtles

[DBLC]

When is best time to prune Crapes? Jan or Feb? ZONE 7 THANKS!!

[greensideup]

I am on the northern gulf coast, & we do most of ours in Jan. The extension service lists Jan/Feb as the time to do it here. Not sure what zone I'm in. SCOTT

[NCSULandscaper]

We will start pruning next week along with any liriope.

[Cutters Lawn Care]

Now is the best time.

[SWD]

Your best indicator on the crepe myrtle trees are complete foliage drop. Once this occurs, trim to desired shape.
Caution - these specimen trees can easily be damaged from incorrect trimming. I would advise that you buy/check out of a library, a book on trimming these trees.

[Team Gopher]

Hi DBLC,

Here are a few sites that I found which offer expanded insight on pruning Crape Myrtles.

http://www.crapemyrtlefarms.com/crape_myrtles.htm

http://www.crapemyrtletrails.com/

[BGL-florida]

Now is a good time to prune crepe myrtles in general. You're essentially making sure they're dormant and that they won't begin to sprout tender shoots when it's still freezing. If you know that won't happen because of your local climate, then go ahead and prune them.

Follow the suggestions from earlier posts to prune properly. Most landscapers wack off the tops. Over years, this weakens the trees and when it rains the lanky branches bend over and can break. Most varieties look best when the tops are left to fill out. They tend to have more blooms although the blooms tend to be smaller than when crepe myrtles are wacked off.

[rkbrown]

In Arkansas you would be fine to prune now. Today, near Houston, we will get near 70 as the high. I usually wait until Feb 1 to do my tree and crepe trimming.

[Tim Canavan]

Valentine's Day is my general time. Same with the roses.

[Equipguy]

We started this week and usually finish up by mid Feb.

[o-so-n-so]

I trim crape myrtles from Feb 1 to mid Feb. Zone 7

You'll be ok at full foliage drop as SWD said.

[aperfectlawn]

I trim mine at the end of March.

[NCSULandscaper]

Originally posted by aperfectlawn
I trim mine at the end of March.

Seems a tad bit late to me. The reason to prune crape myrtles is to remove the brown wood at the tips of the branches, remove old seedheads, and to promote new growth for more blooms in the summer, since blooms form on the years new growth, instead of last years growth like so many other ornamental plants.

I know many people have been pruning these for years but for the new ones out there, its suggested that you only cut back your stems where its about the size of a pencil. Not a few feet off the ground where it looks like tooth picks sticking out of the ground. That way is a last resort due to an unknowledgable person planting the wrong variety of crape myrtle in an area that is too small. Only prune up that severe when the plant has gotten too large for the area. Any other time i do not think is acceptable. When spring shoots start to come out it looks like lollypops sticking out of the ground, very unapealing to me.