The best time to prune crape myrtles depends on what you're hoping to achieve:
For shaping and removing dead or diseased wood:
* Late winter or early spring: This is the ideal time for most pruning, as it allows the plant to heal and recover before the growing season. Prune after the last frost, but before the plant starts to leaf out.
For controlling growth and flower production:
* After flowering: This is the best time to prune if you're aiming to encourage more blooms in the following year. This is because crape myrtles set flower buds for the following year on new growth.
What to avoid:
* Do not prune crape myrtles in the summer: This will remove flower buds and reduce the amount of blooms for the current year.
* "Crape Myrtle Murder": This is the practice of severely cutting back the branches to a few stubs, which is harmful to the plant. It leads to a weakened tree with messy, overly dense growth, and can even make it more susceptible to disease.
Here's a helpful breakdown:
* Late winter/early spring pruning: Focus on shaping, removing dead wood, and encouraging new growth.
* After flowering pruning: Focus on controlling size and promoting more blooms in the future.
Tips:
* Use sharp, clean pruning tools.
* Make clean cuts just above a bud or branch junction.
* Avoid pruning into the trunk, as this can damage the tree.
* Don't be afraid to ask a local nursery or arborist for specific advice on pruning your crape myrtle.
