Can You Prune Crepe Myrtles In March?

1. A rule of green thumb: The ideal time to prune will be late winter, February or March; however, you can wait until April to prune your crape myrtle if you live in milder growing zones

subsequently, How do you trim a tall crepe myrtle tree?

Is crepe myrtle too late to trim April?

Pruning as late as May will likely cause some delay in bloom time, and pruning later than May may delay bloom noticeably but will not harm the tree Any branches you leave untouched will be unaffected, so as with any tree, removing poorly placed or dead/broken branches can be done at any time

Then, Can you trim crepe myrtles with a chainsaw? You must understand a Crepe Myrtle is a tree, not a shrub Therefore, do not take a chainsaw and cut all limbs off shoulder high This is not the correct way to prune a Crepe Myrtle Treat the plant as a tree

Where do you trim crepe myrtle trees? Cut off suckers from the bottom, rubbing and cross growing branches and branches growing inward Gradually cut off all side branches from the main base as the tree gets taller Never leave lone or clustered stubs Be sure to remove unwanted branches before they get too thick (thickness of a pencil)

How tall should a crepe myrtle be?

Mature Size The common crapemyrtle grows to a height of 15–25′ and a spread of 6–15′ at maturity

Should you deadhead crepe myrtle?

Many varieties of crape myrtles can be encouraged to bloom a second time, but timing is important Deadheading crape myrtles (removing dead or dying flowers) encourages new sprouts and blooms, but if you deadhead too late in the season, the tender new growth that is produced can be damaged by cold weather

Can I cut my crepe myrtle to the ground?

Unfortunately you must cut the tree completely to the ground, and don’t be surprised when it grows back VERY quickly The next winter, select three to five well-spaced trunks, and cut off any others at ground level

What kind of fertilizer do crepe myrtles need?

Fertilizers including 8-8-8, 10-10-10, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 will work fine and are ideal for crape myrtles, but don’t go overboard Overfertilizing trees will cause excess growth and reduce the number of blooms on each tree