How to Trim Crepe Myrtles When They Are Knobby

In their natural form, crepe myrtles display colorful blooms in the summer and graceful branches in the winter. Severe pruning or topping, however, often destroys them, creating knobby knees and a stunted look. In addition to making the trees unsightly, wrong pruning causes them to produce weak branches. Daniel Mullin of the University of Florida describes two methods of restoring your knobby crepe myrtles, one conservative and one radical.

Tree pruners
Tree saw

Instructions

Conservative Treatment
- 1
  Select the healthiest two or three shoots growing from a knob on your crepe myrtle.
- 2
  Prune off all but the healthiest shoots from that knob.
- 3
  Select the healthiest two or three shoots from all remaining knobs. Prune off the sickly shoots.
- 4
  Cut off any suckers growing near the ground. They will weaken your crepe myrtle.
- 5
  Continue cutting away weak shoots from each knob in subsequent years until the tree has achieved a pleasing appearance.
Radical Treatment
- 6
  Saw the crepe myrtle tree off between one and two inches from the ground during its dormant period.
- 7
  Wait two or more weeks until new growth has appeared. Choose between three and five of the healthiest-looking new shoots to keep on each separate trunk.
- 8
  Cut off the weaker growth, leaving only the strongest shoots.
- 9
  Cut off additional shoots as they sprout from the trunks. Allow three years or more for your crepe myrtle to return to its natural beauty.

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How to Trim Crepe Myrtles When They Are Knobby

Instructions

Conservative Treatment

Radical Treatment