How to Trim a Crepe Myrtle

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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The crepe myrtle blooms most of the summer and is a favorite plant to grow in the southern states. Many times the crepe myrtle is trimmed and treated like a shrub, but most varieties can grow to a height of about 20 feet. The type and extent of your pruning depends on the shape and size you want your plant to grow.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Gardening gloves
Pruning shears
Long-handled tree loppers

Step1

Prune any time during late winter or early spring. Pruning before the last frost prevents the plant from becoming dormant by forcing new growth. Freezing temperatures can kill a crepe myrtle if it isn't completely dormant.

Step2

Use sharp trimmers so you can make a clean cut, rather than hacking or sawing off the branches. Cut small branches flush with the main limb and cut the larger ones at the knuckle.

Step3

Leave an odd number of shoots growing from the bottom as the main trunks. It's best if they grow outwards a little, rather than straight up, for better air circulation.

Step4

Remove the side branches from these main shoots, starting halfway up from the ground. As the crepe myrtle grows taller, you can begin to trim more, developing a canopy of foliage that starts about 4 feet above the ground.

Step5

Maintain the shape of the tree. It usually isn't necessary to prune the main branches of your tree every year once it reaches its full height. However, you should remove the suckers growing from the base and branches that are crossing over or rubbing against each other.

Tips & Warnings

You can trim a crepe myrtle back to about 6 inches above the ground each year, and it won't kill it if it's a healthy plant. You can either do this or plant a dwarf variety if you want more of a shrub type crepe myrtle.