Crapemyrtle – Management and Pruning

Q: We had a thirty-foot-tall crepe myrtle but decided to cut it back to seven feet tall. The trunks are four inches in diameter. Now that I did all that, what can I expect?

A: You can expect a lot of new sprouts from the top of each stump and green sprouts at the base of the tree. In June, choose one or two of the most vertical ones at the top and clip out the rest. Nip out the top of the vertical sprouts when they reach the height you want the tree to be. The accompanying side branches will probably produce blooms in July. Make it a habit every month to prune back limbs that are growing too vigorously. With regular maintenance you can keep the crape myrtle at a size that fits the space.