Find out when it is too late to prune crape myrtles if you want to enjoy their flowers.
Dean Schoeppner
Timing is everything when it comes topruning a crape myrtle.
So when is it too late to prune crape myrtles if you want blooms in the summer?
Credit:Dean Schoeppner
Heres what it’s crucial that you know about when to prune your crape myrtle to achieve these results.
Cut back crape myrtle in the late winter.
Inwarmer growing zoneswhere spring arrives early, you may need to cut back a crape myrtle by early February.
Crape myrtles don’t need to bepruned every year.
Trim off suckers and dead branches when you see them, but otherwise limit pruning to an as-needed basis.
Don’t prune in the spring.
Once spring has sprung, its officially too late to prune crape myrtles without cutting off this years flowers.
If you prune in the spring and remove new growth, it wont harm the health of the tree.
But you will have fewer flowers or even no flowers, depending on how much you cut back.
Don’t prune in summer or fall.
Pruning crape myrtles in summer or fall can stress the tree.
It’s already dealing with heat and possibly drought, so dont stress your tree further by pruning it.
Go easy on the cuts.
Crape myrtles don’t need much pruning to stay healthy.
When you do prune, use a light touch.
Trim off any dead or dying branches or branches that have crossed one another.
You want to open up the center of the tree so air and sunlight can reach it.
Never cut off more than 25 percent of the tree in one pruning.
Don’t cut the top off ever.
The time is never right to severely chop off your crape myrtle.
This terrible practice has been dubbed crape murder because it can ruin your tree.
