How To Get Thicker Blooms On My Crapemyrtle

Q: I was happy to see a few beautiful red blooms come on our crape myrtle but it seems tall and thin. How can I get it to be thicker with more blooms? 

A: Crapemyrtle flowers are produced on the ends of vigorous new growth. To accomplish more of that on your particular plant, I would try doing light pruning of the branches in January or February. You can remove limbs that are smaller than a finger but don’t do wholesale “crape murder”. It would help to put mulch under the tree extending from the trunk out four feet in all directions. If there is a lawn nearby there’s no need to fertilize. Your plant gets all it needs from the lawn.