Clipping & Trimming the Crepe Myrtle Trees

[PaPaLarry]

Recently I noticed Mikes Landscape (people who do a lot of The Villages work) on ladders trimming the Myrtle trees. It looked like they were just cutting off the tips (dead flowers) of all the trees in round-a-bouts etc. I know there was another thread on this, but if I remember, it was suppose to be done in Feb? Being its my first year with Myrtles, and I would like flowering next year, I want to do the right thing, without giving it "Crepe Murder"!!!!!! Don't want Murder in The Villages!!I guess what I would like to know, is it ok to just cut off the dead flowering or berry like tops?? Any help, will be appreciated. Thankyou:wave::ho::mademyday:

[gomoho]

As someone said in a previous post "follow what The Villages does as far as landscaping practices and you won't go wrong. And please don't commit crepe murder but trim only the tops the way the pros do it - at least the pros that aren't in a rush to get the job done.

[Uptown Girl]

Google "The Grumpy Gardener"/ crepe myrtle. All the expert info you will need, and a bit of humor as well!

Seems that the main reason some people hack them so terribly is to keep a large/ older variety within bounds. SO dumb.
Better to yank the monster and replant with a more diminutive variety that will be beautiful even in dormancy.

The Villages may trim the seed clusters to keep sprouts from popping up elsewhere next spring.

[geonagle]

Had A crepe myrtle in my old place in South Carolina and I loved it.

My two cents...
Always pruned it in the Spring. Primarily for it's shape ( no Q tip.) Always wanted to have about three and only three branches growing from where I pruned. Also wanted the plant to have more of a rounded than a flat top. Over about three years ... got it to look pretty good.

[Mikeod]

I always pruned my crepe myrtle after the first of the year. And only trimmed about 1/3 of the branch length. When they started to get too large, I cut them to a short stump. They produced several shoots from the stump and I kept cutting off all but one until it was the only stem rising out of the stump. They developed into nice, compact trees just as I was selling the house to move here. :ohdear:

7580

[PaPaLarry]

Still haven't trimmed my Crepe Myrtles yet!!!! Plan to do that in early Feb, and only clip old buds.