Too Late To Prune Crepe Myrtles?
Q:I live in Winston Salem, N. C. Can I trim my Natchez crepe myrtles now? Thank you. Connie
A: ‘Natchez’ is one of the first crepe myrtles to bloom. I would advise against pruning it heavily now, because that could reduce flowering and will certainly delay it. However, feel free to due selective pruning to shape the plant to control its growth. Remove suckers growing from the base and all branches growing inward from the main trunks towards the center. You can also shorten branches that are in the way or have grown too tall by cutting them back by a foot or two to an outward-pointing twig or branch. But do not use saws or loppers to butcher the trunks into thick, ugly stubs. The resulting rank growth will be too weak to hold up the flowers and your plant will look uglier than a bulldog with lipstick. Grumpy
I have not pruned my crepe myrtles in over 2 years. I would like to do so now (March 19, 2009). Is it to late to prune them.
M. Williams
No. Now is an excellent time. Check out my recent post, “Crepe Myrtle Pruning Step-by-Step.”
http://grumpygardener.southernliving.com/grumpy_gardener/2009/02/what-concerns-p.html
I’ve planted a dwarf crepe myrtle in the fall for the past 2 years. The first one died and this last one looks dead but when I tried to remove it the stems broke but the root ball is firm. The stem looks green. In Missouri, you can only find crepe myrtles for sale in the fall. Should I wait and see if it sprouts?
Yes, wait to see if your crepe myrtle leafs out. If its stem is still green, it should.
help! this crape myrtle was apparently pruned so that it only has one trunk–like a tree. but then it was a victim of crape murder and looks really bad. I’ve left it alone since we moved here-for about three years, hoping it would get to looking better. No luck. It is already leafing. Should i prune below the stubs? wait till next year? It is a well established plant at least 15 years old
Not to worry, Jeanne. You can prune now. What you should do is prune off all the shoots that sprout from the end of each stub except for one or two. Let these shoots become the new main branches. In a couple of years, your crepe myrtle will be fine.
is it to late to trim my crape myrtle 5-10-2012 i got it back in 2011 i never had one before thank you
Sue,
Crepe myrtle blooms on new growth, so you can prune it now. It will flower a little later than normal, however.
I just had a crepe myrtle get crushed by a falling oak limb. Poor CM will need to be reshaped, as it lost all its limbs on one side. Does it make sense to cut it back now, or wait until spring? BTW, the oak tree is being removed, so the CM will suddenly get a lot more sun than it has had… Thanks!
P.S. Charlotte, NC
Meg,
Sorry about your crushed crepe myrtle. I would go ahead and cut it back now. There’s still a full summer to go and crepe myrtle grows fast.
My Crepe Myrtles planted in MO 3 years ago, gets foliage, but never blooms. Any ideas why? Cathy
Cathy,
I’d guess it’s not getting enough sun. The best flowering happens in full sun.