Q&A for How to Prune a Crepe Myrtle

Sometimes, trimming only the dead flowers during the summer months can bring about a second blooming period.

The best time is in late winter or early spring. Hydrangeas are one of the few shrubs that can be cut back to ground level. One benefit to doing this is that they will produce larger blooms each year.

You prune in early spring before the plant comes out of winter sleep. The crepe myrtle blossoms on new growth, so trimming before that growth starts is the best way.

Yes, generally crepe myrtles lose their leaves in the late fall and early winter. However, they have a variety of attractive barks to appeal to the winter gardener.

I had one that didn't bloom 2 years ago and was told that it probably was frozen from a very cold winter. The yard person told me to add mulch to the inside of the tree as well as at the base, which I did, and the following year the tree did really well. I don't know if this was the cause or not, but it's worth a try. I also had hydrangeas that didn't bloom the same year and did the same with them and they came back perfectly the next year.

Yes. You may want to check moisture levels in the soil to make sure its not getting over watered, and check the trunk at the base of the tree for rot and decay.

Cutting off the berries can prolong the blooming season. It is best to cut them to keep the tree in bloom.

Maybe aphids. Check for black mold on leaves and trunk. Look for little green bugs on the plant, mostly the underside of leaves. If so, use a solution of: 1 cup veggie oil 4 tablespoons dawn dish soap 1 gallon water Pump spray on, leave 2 hours, rinse with high pressure water hose. Leaves will return in a week or two or next season.

Method 2 and Method 3 above both address this. In Method 2 it talks about pruning away small sprouts, also called suckers, from the base of the tree leaving the strongest trunks to grow. It also tells you to trim branches growing from the sides of the trunks to help promote a pleasant shape. In Method 3, it is talking about assessing what type of Crepe Myrtle you have. Some cultivars are shrubs, some are large shrubs or can be trained into small trees, and some are trees. Trying to train a shrub into a tree is going to be frustrating for you, and unhealthy for the plant.

Removing dead wood can be done at any time.

Typically, these suckers/shoots are quickly pruned away due to the fact that they essentially grow from the roots. Doing so, they will be fed as much of the plants "energy" as they can handle. It all depends on the overall look you are going for, but if you already have an established tree turning into a shrub, they should be pruned.

As soon as they appear. Since they bloom on new growth, pruning out spent flowers sends the message to the tree that this branch still needs to flower in order to propagate. Of course, this is contingent on the weather/climate setting that mood. Also note that any repeat blooming is typically not as abundant as the initial one.

Yes. Prune flower heads after flowering to prevent seeds and the tree from becoming too top heavy.

Not sure what you mean by "old buds." Do you mean the seed heads? If so, prune as soon as the flowers are done and it will prevent seeds, which will send energy to the plant to create more flowers and not seeds.