Prune crape myrtles in late winter to encourage strong new growth and flower production. Avoid pruning in spring, summer, or fall to prevent cutting off new flowers and stressing the tree. Never top ...

Stop fertilizing and reduce watering in fall to help crepe myrtles transition into winter dormancy. Fall is prime time to plant new crepe myrtles and prep existing ones with mulch and pest control.

I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

There’s an old saying in pruning: “Prune until it hurts, and then prune some more.” The advice helps overcome our fear of cutting away too many branches. Other pruning adages are less useful. “When in ...

Pruning can still be done. Contrary to popular belief, pruning can be done year-round. Light, judicious pruning in the fall does not kill plants and is often needed to control straggly and overgrown ...

Somehow, the belief that crape myrtles should be brutally pruned by cutting off their tops persists, even though it's inaccurate. Crape murder is a term that has been coined to describe this severe ...

Welcome to fall, where most of your gardening to-do list involves chopping back the flowers, shrubs, trees and other growing things in your yard. Pruning is such a big part of fall cleanup that it may ...

Timing is everything when it comes to pruning a crape myrtle. So when is it too late to prune crape myrtles if you want blooms in the summer? Along with not cutting off next year’s flowers, your ...