Sunday, January 8, 2012

When should I trim my crape myrtles?

They are very overgrown and too close to the house, I want to make them taller and thinner. Now or spring?

When should I trim my crape myrtles?
Anytime after all the leaves have fallen off. I usually wait till a warm spring day and then trim them back. I have one by the pool that gets cut back drastically every year. That keeps the flowers from blowing in the pool.
Reply:If you are going to trim them which I do not recommend. Remember Roses and crape myrtles need to be trimmed by Valentines Day. When you trim them do not cut them all the way back to the nodes where the branches split. Do that only in the areas next to the house, to make the tree taller leave the limbs and only take off the last 3 to 4 inches to encourage taller growth.
Reply:Cut them in the Spring. By cutting them now in the Fall you would encourage new growth which might be damaged by frost or freeze. If you wait till Spring you can trim and shape them taking any Winter damage off with the trimming.
Reply:We always did it in February while they are dormant. You may even want to trim them to 1 or 2 trunks coming up and make them fuller at the top./
Reply:The winter when it is dormant.

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