Techniques for Limbing Up Your Crepe Myrtles
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- Опубликовано: 17 июл 2022
- During these warmer months of the year, we can start enjoying some of our favorite blooming trees and shrubs, including crepe myrtles! We know that crepe myrtles need pruning in the winter months, but what do you do when you need to trim a little around the edges now? Join Mike Westphal, the Garden Guru, as he shows you a quick live demonstration on limbing up your crepe myrtles for a fantastic summer season.
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Thank you for making a video that actually shows you pruning and not just talking about how to prune.
This is the best video on this topic I’ve seen on RUclips.
A little too many "asides"! It became distracting.
When a viewer tunes in because we want to learn something about pruning crape myrtles, we want you to stick to the point so we're not distracted if scheduled time is a factor. However, the information you shared was great "aside from the 'asides' "!! Thank you.
Excellent presentation. You did an amazing job keeping the viewer engaged. It not often I can watch an entire 30 minute video on RUclips without getting distracted. You were spot on. Great job.
I'm sooo glad you took those last 2 off. They were killing my OCD lol. Beautiful tree!
AMEN!
Thanks for showing good pruning technique and clearing up the issues about the collar, suckers, and what you can do in summer !
Thank you so much; this was exactly what I was looking for. I was afraid to hurt my dynamite crepe myrtle with pruning but now I feel confident.
This was the best explanation of pruning I’ve seen on RUclips. Great video.
❤You are the Bob Ross of crepe myrtles!😂
This video is exactly what I needed. Thank you for sharing your thought process for each cut you made. I’m excited to go out and turn my crepe myrtles into beautiful trees!
Glad to hear! Happy pruning. 🙂
Really loved this video! I’m a visual learner and this was incredibly helpful!
Happy to hear that!
Very nice and informative. I’ve got about a dozen ancient myrtles that have been hacked to about 6 feet multiple times by chainsaws and am really trying to get them back to a healthy state with strong growth. Been looking for videos that help and although this doesn’t deal with that issue the principles applied here work well as my myrtles have a huge number of small weak branches that really need thinning and shaping. Really useful.
I would love to see a video about how to deal with those trees that have been "murdered" repeatedly but are now growing out. I also have a younger tree that has not ever been trimmed. These trees make a huge mess this time of year -- dropping leaves and seed pods. I live in a patio home on a d small cul de sac and I feel like my trees are now looking too big even though they are beautiful Natchez whites that are lovely in June/July but a big mess comin into the fall. Thank you, Garden Guru, for your attention to detail in these videos! (I'm in the deep South, FYI.)
I like your Limbing Up techniques. I planted seven six footers this spring and they were fine for a few days and then the deer ate 95% of the leaves and all of the flowers. I brewed up a smelly hot solution of cayenne pepper, garlic, water and dawn dishwashing soap. I spray it on and near the crepe myrtles and the deer will not go anywhere near them. Now they are healthy and bushy, ready for sculpting.
Thank You
When I trim/limb up my crepe myrtle, I basically just take off what is pleasing to my eye.
Thank you for an informative entertaining presentation.
❤You’re a great speaker/teacher!❤ Thanks!!❤
I must agree with others... this is THE BEST & ONLY VIDEO on the "limbing up" topic of a crepe myrtle. AND THANK YOU... FOR NOT "MURDERING" the tree, in this and your other crepe myrtle video. You have won a new subscriber!
Glad you enjoyed it! Proper pruning is super important to caring for crepe myrtles. 🙂
I have 3 shrubby crepes and now I know what I need to do! Thank you for this information!
Looks so pretty after trimming. Thank you
Lots of good information in this video. Thank you.
Beautiful job! Thank you so much for the education!
Great instructions. I’ve got several that were killed back in a heavy late freeze and are coming back. This helps me start pruning tham.
Thank you for your time and knowledge!
Amazing result. Truly zen moment
Great pruning demonstration. 👍
Great tutorial! Thanks 😊
It looks great. I prune my crepe myrtles like this. I like to prune some of my other shrubs such as lilacs like this.
Thank you very informative quite surprisingly my crape here in zone 6b I have gotten them as tall as 8 to 9ft and I am going to try this technique.thank you
Amazing work, thank you so much for these videos!
Glad you are enjoying them!
U are an excellent teacher, amazing explanation, great video
This is the best video I have seen on how to train myrtles. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I recently moved to the south and inherited a crêpe myrtle at the front of my home. I really don’t know what to do with it, but it is starting to impinge on the corner of the gutter line. This video will give me a starting point in which to deal with it.
You are an amazing teacher
Thank you for sharing!!
You are so welcome!
Great video!
Very informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This video was very very helpful, thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Great job.
❤❤❤
Thank you😊
Great job on your teaching the content and how you use the techniques ❤
Thanks so much!
Great video! I’ve been contemplating purchasing some very young plants for a great price. The only thing holding me back was the fear of getting them to eventually look like the trees. I think that I am ready to pull the trigger now!
Thank You for the great tips & tricks!
Super helpful! Thank you!
You're welcome!
Thank you. This was an awesome example.
Glad you liked it!
Thank you! I know understand how to cut my shrub into multiple limb tree. Would love to see your suggestions on companion plants for under myrtle. Thanks again!
This was awesome, thank you! 😃
You're so welcome!
If Edward Norton became a gardener.
Nice! I can do that ❤
I love your energy and the content and how thorough you are and explaining every little detail. So I am about to embark on my first grape myrtles and I came up with this genius idea to plant four of them together and try to braid or twist each tree and the trunk obviously and then I'm hoping to learn how to directionalize The branches as they grow so that it will become an incorporated multicolored tree instead of a sectional colored tree. I hope that makes sense. The whole point is to have each of the flowers going everywhere within the tree and not end up with four quarters of solid colors. So onto my question for you. Do you have any videos on how to do this I'm very small crepe myrtles to get them going? I have a landscaper that was going to be doing it but he is turning out to be not a great fit for me. So I am trying to figure out how to do this I have instructions but I'm very visual. Any help you could give me I would greatly appreciate!
By the way I live in zone 9 so they will get full sun.
Love tis
Amazing 🎉🎉..thanks
Most welcome 😊
I love the crepe myrtles, mine are watermelon. Also I had a red bud tree.
Thank you! Great video. I would like to know how to thin out a single trunk young Natchez.
Thank you for this! I planted a Dynamite last Fall and she has really outdone herself with blooms this summer. Unfortunately it was the last one when I bought it so she only has 2 trunks. I didn’t do much pruning on it this Winter because I wanted to let her bloom her first summer. Of course it has a ton of suckers but my question is aside from the suckers (one I’m training to be my 3rd trunk) when should I start limbing up? I don’t want to cut off any future top growth. She’s about 6 ft talk now. Thank you!
Thank you ❤
Welcome!
Great video glad I found it. I have a question for you. I see a lot of single trunk Crete Myrles in the central Florida area where I live. If I buy like a 3 to 5 gallon Crete Myrle tree with 3 to 4 trunks in it can I separate them and plant them individually? Thanks
Excellent. I bought a few Red Rooster crepe myrtles. I planted some semi dwarf CM too, and I hope to be able to “ bonsai” it but in a 4-5 ft height. Like a miniature CM
You should definitely be able to! Have fun!
I prefer to prune mine about 2 feet up for a bush. My largest limbs are about 2" near the bottom. I tried doing it 3 feet up, but it doesn't bloom very well. The long skinny branches are what you need for blooms. Next time, I can prune farther up. Should fill in nicely next year. 🌳
Thanks, I needed that! ❤🪴
No problem 🙂
Are the cut flowering branches worth putting in vase to enjoy for a bit as a bonus?
Very good video, you were disappointed in losing your blooms so I wonder if you could take them inside as cut flowers, or possibly grow new trees from the cuttings?
I have watched you video and enjoyed it. I have a question. Someone took an overgrown Crepe Myrtle cut it off at the ground. Now a few months later it is now a 5' x 3' bush. They chopped because it got too tall. If you cut it back to make a single trunk tree out of it can you do anything to get rid of all the other stalks that will come up?
Hi ! Love the video!!!
I have a question, I just planted a Sioux crape myrtle , about 3 months ago,, it blooms but blooms lasts like a week and start faded off also some of leaves kind of shrink I think that’s the word , is this normal on new tree ( crape Myrtle )
Hi Mike! Wondering if you might consider doing a video on how to overwinter crepe myrtle in a pot, indoors. I live in New England, but would love to learn if crepe myrtles would work in pots outside in the summer, but allow them to go dormant indoors (basement with grow lights maybe?) through the winter months. They are one of my favorite trees, but they just won't survive the brutal winters in the north.
If I lived in New England I wouldn't even glance at a crepe myrtle...you already have access to so many more beautiful options (in my opinion of course)
If it's at its lowest hardiness zone, will pruning to tree make it more vulnerable to harsh winters, help it, or would it not matter?
Is that one tree of two in the pot, I have small ones with one trunk, about 2-3ft, could I put two together?
Can you tell me how much will my 3ft-6ft mertles grow this year? I'm so anxious to see them as trees.
This was perfect thank you!! Last year some landscapers cut down 2 of our crepe Myrtle trees. Was a miscommunication. Luckily they are growing back and about 5’ tall but are just a big wooly bush. I miss the structure the tree form provides but have been afraid to prune it until now! I love the explanation of your thought process and why you are taking some and leaving others. I will watch this a few more times before I start the pruning. Thank you for making this video!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Happy to help if you have any more questions on pruning. 🙂
Never prune a crepe myrtle it will not grow the same I have over 16 crepe myrtle and they shouldn’t be prune people want to prune everything and they ruin the tree the top heavy of the tree will never grow shade the tree knows what it’s supposed to do . Some trees you can prune for the winter put the crepe myrtle isn’t one of them I have the trees not the bush my neighbor has the bush and she has cut it many times to try to make it to a tree and it looks horrible it looks like a twig and is bald no flowers just leaves for 3 years also cuttings the top keeps your tree dwarf that’s what happened to my neighbors tree. My landscaper who installed the trees in my property advised me that crepe myrtle doesn’t need pruning to leave it a lot only take branches growing on the trunk usually on the bottom . I have a hybrid that’s a dynamite and white myrtle in one and it’s crazy to see also they change colors from a pink color two years and the third year turns lavender that’s due to the ph levels on the soil just some info
Can the discarded growth be potted and survive?
I planted a nice 5gallon Natchez a few years ago. The main leaders are about 3/4” dia. and are now 6 to 7 foot tall and really weep out to the sides. I am worried about the flimsy tops once they bloom. I have them staked and controlled but I think in the late fall it might be time to top the tree a foot or so to promote more branching. Would this be correct ??
This was incredibly helpful!
A question though- is there ANY chance that you could use any of the branches you cut off to start a new tree? Can you use them to propagate?
I am no propagation expert, simple answer is yes, you can propagate crepe myrtles from cuttings, you need to do it in the summer months, June-August, and you would prefer to use some new growth that has hardened off some. Cut the piece about 6-8 inches long, keeping about 3-4 nodes on it, and some of the leaves. Use a rooting hormone if you have it, or just stick in a good bark based mixture, mix with peat if you have it, place half the cutting under the soil, keep moist and keep it in the shade, should root in about 3-4 weeks, plant in the fall! Warning, most varieties have a patent, patents last 20 years, so check on the variety if you know it to make sure it’s past the patent timeframe and it’s lawful to propagate!
I would like to know long u have to steak the tree?
What number Felco pruners are you using? I go for the limbed up look. Good tutorial.
I use #2 Felco pruners! Thanks for watching.
I have 4 sunset magic crepe Myrtle,s
are these good shadow trees?
When to prune a new crepe myrtle shrub into a tree?
I have a mertle that has 4 trunks a little over 1 inch diameter. My issue is each year it grows very tall limbs straight up. It blooms fine but the tree will not fill out and become more like a tree. How can I prune it to get it fuller and less just tall and straight up? I hope you won't mind sharing some advice. Thanks in advance.
Hi I just planted a 15 gallons crepe myrtle my question how often should I water it, I live in Southern California and is only one trunk, I really appreciate if u help me. Thank you in advance.
Great video, but I do have a question. Many videos say to not cut off the limb collar when pruning, but you are insistent that the pruning be flush with the trunk, presumably removing the collar. Am I missing something?
Update? Did the trees live?
Please for the love of god get to the pruning... lol.. just kidding.. great video.. thanks !
Thanks from South Africa. I am planning to plant two soon.
Are they fast growing?
At 68 years of age I need something in the line of fast to medium growers.
I asked my nursery the same question this spring: the taller-type crapes (Muskogee etc) have the fastest growing rates, can grow a few feet a year after the first year 😊
Bashams Party Pink is supposed to be the fastest grower and one of the largest.
How old is that Crepe and what verity is it? I just bought a Natchez and a Black Diamond Best Red from Fast Growing Trees.. Thinking of Planting them in Large Containers for a bit until I can decide on "a Home" for them in my Landscape.. Do you think they'd be Happy in a Large Container for a year or so? Thank you for the Awesome Content and Video!!! : )
Hi there! Which crepe myrtle are you referring to in this video? And as for potting up your crepe myrtles, they definitely can be planted in pots for a period of time, but you'll just want to make sure that they are receiving enough nutrients through a high-quality potting mix and soil amendments such as Espoma's Biotone Starter Plus.
I’m in zone 6. Is there a crepe myrtle best for my area that I could make into a tree?
Hi Linda! The tonto variety will work best in zone 6. Please let us know if you have any additional questions
can we replant the branches that were cut?
No, they will not grow roots. Many crepe myrtles have smaller "sucker" plants that pop up around the established crepe myrtle tree, these can be dug up to make more crepe myrtle trees. However, it can take a long time to establish a tree this way and it is not always successful. If you are looking to have another tree, you may just want to visit your local garden center and purchase another.
Can I limb up my crepe Myrtle during the summer when it is full of blooms ir should I wait until Fall?
I would recommend you wait to limb it up until your blooms have expired. If you want to do some extreme pruning, you'll want to wait until the crepe myrtle is completely dormant without any leaves on it in the winter. If you want to just prune off expired blooms in the meantime, you can go ahead and do that!
How do I know which one I have? Its got really bright fuchsia color, with dark leaves
Hi! If you aren't sure what type of crepe myrtle variety you have, snap a picture or bring in a sample to your local garden center so an expert can help you identify it. We would be happy to help you at McDonald Garden Center if you are near the Virginia Beach, VA area!
Why was the telephone pole a problem that had to be removed ?
This is being trained as a multi trunk tree? Will it eventually become a single trunk as you keep pruning? (This is coming from a complete novice)
I see many crepe myrtles with only one trunk. Is this a different variety or due to pruning?
Hi Patricia! This is due to consistent pruning as the crepe myrtle grows into maturity.
Fantastic presentation!! I found a lot of answers while cleaning up some very neglected ones . The smallest one is now blooming !
not disease and insect resistant. We have been battling aphids and that black mold for a few years now and my husband has literally tried everything. Help!
.
Got tired of waiting to see how to do it
Too high bruh
Cut it off
Mr. Miyagi would love to give you a few bonzai trees! 😅
You really chopped the hell out of that thing! Hopefully it pays off....