Crepe myrtles bloom on new growth. I don't believe you would be sacrificing bloom for the 2010 season by pruning now. Here a link to the University of Florida bulletin on crepe myrtles. - June

Here is a link that might be useful: Crepe Myrtles Bulletin

Tom MacCubbin says crepe myrtles should not be pruned at all, except to remove any branches that might be blocking a pathway, etc. He calls the excessive pruning done to them by landscape companies "crape murder." I have to say I agree with his description most of the time. The median strips along our roadways end up with crepes that have thick, heavy trunks and branches, and little knobby displays of leaves and flowers on top. I always think they look like giant technicolor broccoli stalks.

Most varieties will make lovely small trees, with beautiful shapes to them if left to develop naturally. And contrary to to popular belief, pruning does not increase the amount of flowers. In fact, it substantially decreases it, as the tips that would produce the most blooms are all cut off.

If you don't need to trim the tree to fit your space, you might consider letting it develop naturally. You won't be sorry.

One thing I love about Charlotte, NC, is no one ever told people up there to prune their crepes, and they are large, stunning shade trees, covered in flowers all summer. Of course, some varieties get much taller than others, but all will benefit from being left to develop naturally.

We have one area over here where the landscapers have left them alone, and it's like night and day to drive by it and compare to the streets where they have been cut back so drastically. So, just something to consider...

Marcia

I agree, no pruning. I'd never heard of pruning them (Grew up in south Texas) until about ten years ago. My next door neighbor ruined a beautiful one last year (he's a professional "landscaper").

It doesn't hurt to snip off the twigs that bloomed last year, that may increase this years bloom. I heard that from Tom Macubben. He says to cut them back to a diameter about the size of your little finger.

john

We made the mistake of planting 6 too close together years ago. The ones on the ends do well. DH is trying to give the others a chance to grow better. He is not talking about taking and chopping it off flat across like you see so often, rather taking off the twiggy parts. The ones at Epcot looked so pretty this spring, full and lush and thats what the people working there said they do.

Crape Myrtle looks best with 3 , 5 or 7 main trunks .
It is definitely OK to remove stems or trunks to achieve that number .
It is also important to remove suckers from the base that may sprout up.
Crapes are dormant January and February - a good time to thin by pruning .
Use sharp clean pruners or loppers .
Hand pruners are for no more than the size of a pencil .
Loppers are for 1/2 to 1 inch size wood .
Use a tree saw or pruning saw for bigger wood .

Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle for Florida Yards

John, I agree that Tom says to snip off the old blooms, if you want to tidy the tree up, though he says it won't matter if you don't, as they are "self-pruning" in that regard. And yep, he mentions that if you MUST prune, not to cut anything larger than a pencil thickness (or your little finger), and that's really as far as you should go.

I personally don't think they need a bit of pruning, and judging by what they look like in NC (and Texas, sounds like), I think most people would understand why they are so stunning when left alone. This is also the way they used to look down here until somewhere around the mid to late 70's when the fad for cutting them way back got started. My grandmother had a lavender one that must have been over 30' tall, and so full of blooms every year, it was a spectacle.

Everyone has their own idea of beauty, to be sure, but for my money, crepe murder just looks sad. I always see the trees as they really should look in my mind's eye, and want to cry for what so many of them look like instead these days.

You can easily buy a variety that stays the height you are looking for, so pruning isn't necessary, especially not to promote blooms. A little tidying if you really must, but that's all that's needed. Let 'em grow and thrive! You'll love how they reward you.

Marcia

Mboston, I can see how you would want to help the crowded ones out a bit, and what you are talking about sounds like a reasonable way to do it. Good luck with your plan. Hope it works out like you want it to!

Marcia

Marcia I wholeheartly agree especcially about Crepe murder, who thought that was a good idea. Even worse than pruning palms to look like feather dusters. I grew up just north of Charlotte and spent some time in SC where I remember the hugh white Crepe myrtles, the size of oaks. Well, maybe not quite that big. ;>) I usually trim mine when they start making seeds to extend the bloom period.

john

My landlord believes in crepe murder and so I have taken to trimming the tree back but not to the nubs jos person usually does. I prevent the man from doing his job by placing hanging baskets of varying sizes im the tree on the brancked he wants to cut and tat prevents the total murder of the tree. Greg's wife wants to keep the free a certain size and despite the murder the tree grows taller from the truck and has so many blossoms the branches hang almong to the ground. I trim the end of the month and just beat her man. Linda

MBoston,
If you made the mistake of planting them to close it is possible to move them even after they are pretty big. I've done it several times and they all responded well, even plants that were 12-15' tall. I'm not saying it is easy, the last one took three men to get it out of the hole, but it was putting out new leaves 3 months later.
john

Mboston: Thanks for starting this thread - it spurred me to do some necessary pruning on my crepe myrtle. Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was itching to be in the garden. With the leaves gone, it was easy to see the structure of my tree. Noticed a couple of new-from-last-year branches that were crossing or were headed that way and removed them. - June

DON'T Hack the crape myrtles! Every year we tell the lawn people not to and they do it anyway, so they grow out in a bushy mess. Now I have to remove the trees because my dads tired of the branches taking up the driveway where the car goes.

I prune the lower branches to make them look like a tree as opposed to a bush. I don't see the harm in that. I agree that the practice of cutting off the top of the trees should be avoided. I don't know if it harms the plant, but it look pretty stupid and unattractive.

I agree that "limbing up" under the trees keeps them neater and doesn't hurt the overall structure of what is actually a small tree and not a large shrub (with most varieties, anyway). So Amberrose, I'm with you...limbing up not only works on many small trees, but it opens up an area underneath to grow smaller plants and annuals. Whacking back the top is just sad in 95% of the cases, though. I remember when these trees looked so much prettier, back in "the good ol' days." (Can you tell how old I am?)

Marcia