Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune

There are many opinions on which is the “correct” way to prune a crapemyrtle.
A landscape owner may want a smaller tree, more blooms, or less work….all of which demand a different kind of pruning.
Dr. Gary Knox at the University of Florida did an experiment over a couple of years. He compared no pruning to “pencil pruning” to “topping” to “pollarding” (modified topping).
Click here to download his PowerPoint presentation.
His conclusions:
• Unpruned trees require the least overall “work”
• Pencil-pruning and Pollarding take more time than Topping
• Topping and Pollarding stimulate more sprouts; i.e., the harder you prune, the more you stimulate sprouting
• The harder you prune, the more you delay flowering
• ‘Natchez’: Hard pruning reduces number of flowers and slightly increases flower size
• ‘Carolina Beauty’: Pruning had no clear effect on number of flowers; topping reduced flower size
What’s the “right” way to prune?
It depends on:
• Amount of time available for winter pruning
• Skill of the worker
• Desired plant size
• Preferred winter appearance
• Preferred summer appearance
Another good opinion
Bonnie Appleton: Topping Crapemyrtles is Savage
Crapemyrtle Pruned Poorly – Pictures
Crapemyrtle Pruned Correctly – Pictures

This makes me want to cry

Nicely pruned. No knobs, graceful.
-
Advertisement
-
Follow Walter
-
Advertisement
-
-
January calendar
January is typically the coldest winter month. Still, you can accomplish such garden tasks as sharpening...
Get The Checklist
-
-
-
name that plant
Post your puzzlers and help others with theirs.
Start Here
-
-
Trending Posts
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
3
Spider Mites – Control
-
4
Japanese Beetles – Control Options
-
5
Ligustrum (Privet) – Leaf Spot
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Crapemyrtle Varieties and Cultivars
-
3
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
4
Dominion – Use for Azalea Lacebug
-
5
Make Topiary Using Spanish Moss?
-
-
Walter’s Bookshelf
Browse and purchase gardening books by Walter Reeves, plus select titles by other authors.
View books -
Popular topics
Soil Spring Summer Seed Winter Fall Flowers Weed Fertilizer Disease Shade Temperature Pine Pots Oak Mulch Pruning Watering Container Maple Compost Herbicide Birds Moisture Tomatoes Azalea Poison Pears Hydrangea Glyphosate Cherry Caterpillar Pests Roundup Irrigation Pre-Emergent Stone Pesticide Dogwood Peach Pine Straw Spider Greenhouse Magnolia Squash Beans Squirrels Poisonous Travel Lemon
-
Trending Posts
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
3
Spider Mites – Control
-
4
Japanese Beetles – Control Options
-
5
Ligustrum (Privet) – Leaf Spot
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Crapemyrtle Varieties and Cultivars
-
3
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
4
Dominion – Use for Azalea Lacebug
-
5
Make Topiary Using Spanish Moss?
-
-
Advertisement
-
Walter’s Bookshelf
Browse and purchase gardening books by Walter Reeves, plus select titles by other authors.
View books -
Advertisement
-
-
name that plant
Post your puzzlers and help others with theirs.
Start Here
-
-
-
January calendar
January is typically the coldest winter month. Still, you can accomplish such garden tasks as sharpening...
Get The Checklist
-
-
Popular topics
Soil Spring Summer Seed Winter Fall Flowers Weed Fertilizer Disease Shade Temperature Pine Pots Oak Mulch Pruning Watering Container Maple Compost Herbicide Birds Moisture Tomatoes Azalea Poison Pears Hydrangea Glyphosate Cherry Caterpillar Pests Roundup Irrigation Pre-Emergent Stone Pesticide Dogwood Peach Pine Straw Spider Greenhouse Magnolia Squash Beans Squirrels Poisonous Travel Lemon
-
Advertisement
-
Trending Posts
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
3
Spider Mites – Control
-
4
Japanese Beetles – Control Options
-
5
Ligustrum (Privet) – Leaf Spot
-
1
Crapemyrtle – Which is the Right Way to Prune
-
2
Crapemyrtle Varieties and Cultivars
-
3
Azalea Lacebug – Control
-
4
Dominion – Use for Azalea Lacebug
-
5
Make Topiary Using Spanish Moss?
-
-
Walter’s Bookshelf
Browse and purchase gardening books by Walter Reeves, plus select titles by other authors.
View books -
-
January calendar
January is typically the coldest winter month. Still, you can accomplish such garden tasks as sharpening...
Get The Checklist
-
-
Popular topics
Soil Spring Summer Seed Winter Fall Flowers Weed Fertilizer Disease Shade Temperature Pine Pots Oak Mulch Pruning Watering Container Maple Compost Herbicide Birds Moisture Tomatoes Azalea Poison Pears Hydrangea Glyphosate Cherry Caterpillar Pests Roundup Irrigation Pre-Emergent Stone Pesticide Dogwood Peach Pine Straw Spider Greenhouse Magnolia Squash Beans Squirrels Poisonous Travel Lemon