how to cut a crape myrtle tree

Watch as one of our expert horticulturalists Ed Laivo as he shares tips and tricks to correctly prune the beautiful Crape Myrtle. If you have to remove an entire branch cut it back to the branch.

Trim Your Crape Myrtles Like A Pro Don T Make These 4 Mistakes

Plant large type crape myrtles a minimum of 6ft away from a structure house etc.

. Cut about one-third of the way. The process can be done in either hardwood or. To create a look where the canopies of the plants will grow together and provide shade.

Simply remove any extra stems protruding from the ground. Pruners are good for small branches up to 34 inches in diameter. Pick the right tool for the pruning you want to do.

The goal is to get air ci. Using a good potting soil mix plant the cuttings in one-gallon pots or directly into a well. Crape myrtle trees are resilient and can handle being heavily pruned if.

He advises the following. Start a second cut on top of the. You can use a ladder to reach the higher limbs if youre comfortable.

This method called a thinning cut will preserve the natural shape of the tree while reducing its overall size. Then fill the space to the surface and mix it thoroughly. Choose loppers for branches 34 inch to 1 12 inches in.

Stick the cutting into the soil so that half the. Plant your cuttings in this area leaving about 6-inches between each plant. With proper pruning any of our beautiful sizes and varieties can become a single stem plant.

He starts by removing the low hangi. Start trimming the crape myrtle at a young age. As the tree grows trim it regularly.

When pruning make sure to make clean cuts at a 45-degree angle just above a bud or side branch. Cutting a crape myrtle is one of the best methods to propagate them especially if you have an abundance and want some extras. If you do this you can direct its growth over time to begin meeting your objectives.

Make your cuts just below a leaf nodebud along the branch see illustrations. This is a very easy look to achieve. Certified arborist Wes Hopper prunes a Crape Myrtle that has previously been murdered or the top has been chopped off.

If you go the DIY route start by trimming the outside limbs back to where they meet a main branch. Make the first cut underneath the branch at least several inches from the tree trunk.

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