[PaPaLarry]

Crepe Myrtles are in full bloom and look so nice when we look out window. Glad I purchased them and will take everyones advice about when and how to trim them for next year, in order to get them bigger and fuller. Thanks again everyone

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by PaPaLarry

Crepe Myrtles are in full bloom and look so nice when we look out window. Glad I purchased them and will take everyones advice about when and how to trim them for next year, in order to get them bigger and fuller. Thanks again everyone

Apparently we trimmed them at the wrong time. Ours aren't blooming like our neighbors who did NOT trim them.

We have lilac colored ones. I love the watermelon colored ones.

[PaPaLarry]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Apparently we trimmed them at the wrong time. Ours aren't blooming like our neighbors who did NOT trim them.

We have lilac colored ones. I love the watermelon colored ones.

When they arrived from Fairfield Farms, I had them dig hole deep enough for one bag of bark mulch, to hold the water. Apparently it worked good. Also fed them before covering up hole. But its what we wanted, two nice myrtle trees to look at from kitchen window. Dug up about a 160 sq ft of lawn, (full of bermuda anyway) and bagged each week for pick up on wednesday. I bet at least 30 bags when done. Put vinyl trim around and layed plastic, and then bark mulch. So now we are "Happy" Watermelon Red

[BaylorBear]

Papa, here in Texas we prune ours the third week in February. That's what we were told by a very reputable garden center.

[PaPaLarry]

Originally Posted by BaylorBear

Papa, here in Texas we prune ours the third week in February. That's what we were told by a very reputable garden center.

Yes, so I found out. I definetly will do that, and making sure I only trim half of the branch as suggested by everyone. Hopefully I'll even get better blooms next year. I take it, these blooms will last all summer?

[BaylorBear]

That they do, PaPaLarry!! All summer long!!

[KathieI]

My trees suffered badly from the frost of winter, so I trimmed the dead stuff off after the frost was over. Doing that, increased a lot of inner growth which I didn't want, as I like the tall, lean look. So after my landscaping was done a few months ago, I trimmed all the inner growth and cut back some branches about a foot. Gave them a good amount of Miracle Grow a few weeks ago and they are blooming like crazy. Beautiful shade of deep rose. Unfortunately, some of the branches are heavy with blooms and are drooping, so come fall, I will cut them back even more (way before frost hits) and we'll see what happens next spring. They are pretty hardy and it will be tough to do real damage to them but the point is to increase the blooms without creating a drooping tree.

I love doing this, its a labor of love.

[bike42]

See Crepe Myrtle Pruning Step-by-Step - The Grumpy Gardener - SouthernLiving.com Crepe Myrtle Pruning Step by Step (by Southern Living's garden editor Steve Bender)