Proper Way To Prune Large Crape Myrtle

crapemyrtle pool

Q: My crape myrtle is twenty feet tall and needs to be trimmed as it getting
too big and is touching my house. What is the proper way to prune it? 

A: Your best option is to do several thinning cuts. That means taking out an
entire branch all the way to the base rather than simply shortening it. If you
only shorten branches, they will vigorously re-sprout in spring and the tree
will resume growing in ways you don’t want. By removing limbs that go
excessively upward and outward, the crapemyrtle will be reduced in size
without excessive sprouting.

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