How to Trim Fully Grown Crape Myrtles

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) grow naturally as small- to medium-sized trees. According to the Floridata website, crepe myrtles have one of the longest flowering seasons, often lasting up to four months. Because of the weak limbs and abundance of shoot suckers, pruning is an important part of maintaining a fully grown crape myrtle. Proper trimming strengthens the tree and also neatens the overall appearance. Wait until the months of January to March to prune the grown crape myrtle. The tree is dormant during this period and allows you to better see the framework of the limbs.

Hand pruners
Loppers
Hand saw

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the bottom of the crape myrtle trunk where it emerges from the top of the soil. Locate any thin shoots growing out of the trunk base or the soil directly next to the trunk. Cut the shoots off 1/2 inch to 1 inch above the soil using hand pruners or loppers.
- 2
  Trace the main trunk up from the ground and cut off any horizontal limbs that grow below your desired canopy bottom. You can choose any height for the bottom of the canopy depending on your personal preferences. Cut the limbs off 1/2 inch from the trunk using loppers.
- 3
  Look closely at the main branches and locate any areas of bark that are damaged due to a limb rubbing against it. Locate the limb causing the damage, and trace it back to 1 inch from the main trunk. Cut the limb off using a pruning saw.
- 4
  Examine the main vertical branches and identify any horizontal limbs that grow toward the center of the tree rather than the outside of the tree. Prune off all inward-growing limbs 1 inch from the parent branch using the pruning saw.
- 5
  Look at the tips of the remaining branches and identify any dried seed pods or flowers. Cut them off at the intersection of another branch using hand pruners to make the cut. Remove as many of the dead blooms and pods as you can easily reach.

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