How to Properly Prune a Crape Myrtle | Gardening with Creekside

[@pas100657]

As a Master Gardener in Brunswick Cty (I teach pruning)I appreciate your emphasis on proper pruning techniques, using the correct tools and putting the right plant in the right place. We need more videos like this from industry pros. Good job!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Thank you so much!

[@pas100657]

@@GardeningwithCreekside you’re welcome

[@marcellacoblentz8433]

As a fellow Master Gardener here in north Alabama, I am always preaching about ‘crape murder’ which is my biggest pet peeve!

[@naseerahmad-nv6pc]

Prolific information thank you

[@phyllisharper4102]

Finally the proper way to trim crape Myrtle trees! Thank you!

[@trishferrer8209]

This is the BEST instructional video I have ever seen for crape myrtle pruning. Thank You for this thorough information!

[@angiewilliford2456]

The Best tutorial I have ever seen on trimming crepe myrtles!!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@donnajas]

Great information. I wish I had known this years ago before I planted crape myrtles at the front of my house. This video is a must share. Thank you.

[@ArtemisMS]

I just bought my first crape myrtle, a black diamond! I'm so excited, and am so grateful for this video!

[@_KingQuinn_]

Creekside does an amazing job with showing us how to maintain larger shrubs and trees that not many youtubers do. As a side note, if anyone is having trouble understanding the pruning technique (like i did) u can check out linda vater, she does the exact same method of shrubs and small topiaries and it was a blessing for me to figure out exactly how to do it from creekside in tree form and linda in shrub form. Much love to u both

[@LightworkerLissa]

Best pruning video I've found! Just about everyone in my neighborhood in AL murders their crape myrtles. Mine is about 5 years old and was very bushy (and had finally started growing tall) but it now looks like a tree. I know it's a little late to be cutting on it but next year I'm hoping it will begin to look fabulous! Thank you so much!!

[@festuswilliams9428]

Hi Melissa.

[@marchill861]

Suggestion, always shoot digital with the sun to your back . You won’t have glare like you are having. Love the channel.

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Totally agree! Sometimes though we’re forced to film when we have the time and we have to fight the sun and background 😉

[@abrahamgiliana]

I would say, FIRE the cameraman! It's so shame he/she ruined the video.

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

@@abrahamgiliana I appreciate your passion, but it really is ok. Life is too short to get upset about a video that was shot a year ago. Have a great night!

[@Majesticcauldron]

Thank you so much! Your video is very informative on pruning. I’ve personally never chopped mine in the past but have seen some that do and always wondered if this was correct. Recently bought a house and the owner murdered all 10 of the crape Myrtles up the drive and I thought why? I’ve cleared all the suckers and they’re looking really good. I told all my crape myrtles that they would never be chopped/murdered like that again! Lol!

[@katherineclarkebisous4]

Her yard is massive!!! love it!!!

[@sixtheai]

I have to agree with the others, this was absolutely THE best video I've seen on pruning. So clear! Thank you

[@mrs.m4702]

Thanks, Jenny♥️. This was extremely helpful. The pruning process really helps the crepe myrtle look more attractive! Blessings for the upcoming spring season!♥️

[@SamW604]

Excellent video. Thank you for the demonstration.

[@melaniemackenzie8084]

Nicely done! informative and entertaining! My only suggestion is to point out that your clippers and lopping shears are bypass pruners and to sanitize your tools prior to pruning to avoid any cross contamination. But, well done! As a professional landscape designer and nursery pro,I am constantly having to teach my clients NOT to pollard crape myrtles ( and, sadly, Japanese maples).

[@tammymcginty123]

Jenny, thank you for speaking on the term, "Crepe Murder". I really wish people would STOP murdering their Crepe Myrtles. As a southern bell raised VERY near Natchez Mississippi & surrounded by these property trimmed beauties, I very quickly grew to love them. They are EVERYWHERE & SO beautiful when cut correctly. It's so sad to me when I see a Crepe Murder. BTW, I live in Georgia & have 23 year old White NATCHEZ Crepe Myrtles in my yard. They are huge & majestic! I trim them later winter myself. Also to insure it's done correctly. No Crepe Murder here! ❤

[@lisaarrigo9961]

My elderly neighbor moved, she had two beautiful huge crape myrtles between our properties. The new owner just topped them and I about died when I pulled up to my house and saw them.

[@juanduran345]

Nice instructional video and thanks for advocating a stop to crape murder. I hate to see them all chopped up and knobby. I especially enjoyed the lopper technique. I use the same two hands on one handle with the second handle pressed against the belly.

[@paulsmodels]

Many folks make the mistake of planting trees, and schrubs too close to a structure/house whetever. Thanks for talking about that.

[@judyholbrook7915]

I have crepe myrtles all around my house. We love them here in KY. I didn’t know how to prune them at all. Thank you for this wonderful video. Love all your videos 🥰

[@ramonajolley1966]

This very informative! I was going to have at my tree in a few days. I'll wait. I have a lot of work to do on mine. Thank you!

[@fossgoddess]

I purchased a 4 foot tall Natchez and planted it early spring and it has a strong single trunk and then it branches off a lot. I did cut a little off of some of the leggy long branches and it's blooming nicely this summer. Can't wait to prune it up this winter for next season. I planted about 7 feet away from a window that gets direct sun exposure all day - and am hoping for some shade in the next few years. Praying I picked the right spot. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@frandanco6289]

The Natchez variety will grow up into a very well shaped round, oval tree and will perhaps give you the shade you want eventually as it grows up.. But of course, it will lose all its leaves over winter, but will come back with new ones in the summer...

[@festuswilliams9428]

Hi Marianne.

[@deborahmonroe3041]

Thank you, Thank YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! great video. I live in 7B and so many people just Murder crepe myrtles and it takes years for them to look decent.

[@regrub11]

I love your tutorial! I have numerous crepe myrtles that were butchered and some never pruned. I feel confident I can now prune them correctly and timely. I still wonder what is the best nutrition for them and when can I feed them?

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

You can do it! I would use a great all-purpose slow release fertilizer like Plant-tone in early spring when you begin to see new growth.

[@aliciaembro4694]

This video was so helpful to me! Thank you😊 Years ago I planted 4 crape myrtles right in front of my house. I had no idea what I was doing-I don’t know if I got the right variety for the space-thus the reason I feel so unsure every year of how to prune. I have made the mistake of cutting straight across-it seems to have worked to keep them on the smaller side-but your so right; it really creates all those shooters that I have to clean up throughout the blooming season.

[@nicolechew1029]

We've lived in the south for a while now, and I always wondered what those trees with the big knobs on top were 😳 now I know it's a bad crepe myrtle prune job! I recently bought a dwarf crepe myrtle for my backyard that only gets 3 ft tall. I'm so excited to see it grow!

[@tammymcginty123]

Yes, when people do that it's called "Crepe MURDER". I really hate seeing it.

[@robertcloninger9797]

Great video I'm so glad you and your family have done so good, your place is beautiful. I have been growing Leyland cypress a few miles from you for 20+ years, keep up all the good work.

[@harrisphoto5941]

Thank you for sharing! This was by far the most informative video on pruning my crepe myrtle!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

So glad you found it helpful!

[@Winnie-Kay]

Hi, Jenny, I'm also NC 7b and I'm so glad Laura from Garden Answer featured you on her Highlights channel. Thank you for this video. I look forward to learning more about southern plantings and such. ❤

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Welcome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the video & happy to have you a part of our community!

[@steverdms]

I only currently watch two gardening shows on KZbin. The Garden Answer who I discovered years ago and now Gardening with Creekside. LOVE THEM!!

[@redraif]

Thank you for all the great info on proper pruning. I had a BAD BAD landscaper who did my first plantings when my house was first build. He bought completely the wrong style crape and planted them next to the house. I'm in GA and have had to physically snatch the shears away from people who wanted to "tell" me the "correct" way to prune crapes. OMG... My poor mother was one of them (she had no idea). In mothers defense she instructed the landscaper to buy a smaller shrub variety and he bought the MEGA tree version. LOL. Every season, I have had landscapers pull in my driveway and tell me I need to top those trees back to bushes. UGH... I hate crape murder. I love them as natural trees. So fast forward 15 years... no one touches my landscaping anymore but me. So much was done wrong, anyway... I have 2 of the nachez crape myrtles 12 feet from the front corner of the house on both sides. One is up in the power line coming into the house. Both are draping onto the house. Do you have any recommendations of the best place to look for info on trimming a Crape canopy properly without topping the trees. Its a bit past hand shears and loppers. We are into ladders & pole saws now. I want to try to deal with some of the lower branches that have become so heavy with blooms they sag. Do I have to go all the way to base of the tree to trim them or to a joint in the limb? Is their any danger to limbs that touch the house? like conducting lightening strikes. I have been told alot, but don't want to murder and amputate unnecessarily.

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Oh bless honey you have been through it! So you're not going to like what I have to say I'm afraid. I would say that ultimately the Natchezs close to your house need to come out. But if you're not ready to do that (and I totally understand), then I would recommend taking the arching limbs that are touching the house all the way back to the main trunks. You want the tree to look tidy and natural so you'll have to use your own judgement since you can see it with your own eyes (it's kind of tricky giving pruning advice via YT comments). Hope this helps a bit!

[@redraif]

@@GardeningwithCreekside thank you. I will try pruning as you suggest. I have not quite gone all the way back to the trunk on all the cuts previously. Just tried to remove limbs at joints. Fortunately the way the roof runs on the two corners, I have not had any issues with the tree's limbs getting into gutters or soffits. Bit of a saving grace, for now. I hope to not remove them. Been fighting for the guys for years. Neighbor had a tree guy come to remove a tree from her backyard last year. He threatened to cut down my entire crape while I was at work because some of the limbs would be in his way to get into her backyard. He said he would have to remove one whole side (3 of the 5 trunks) so it was better to remove the whole tree. Then gave her a price to cut it down. Thank goodness the neighbor stopped him and told him it was on my property. I did a large pruning that night after work and got things clear enough for him to drive back. Never pruned a tree in the dark with a flashlight before... lol. But it came out amazingly well.

[@joseramirez5298]

Thank you so much!!I just recently move to my new property here on Texas and I have 8 of those hahaha . I just whanted to see how to before messing one of them up. They really need some maintenance.

[@cynthiataylor3788]

I can’t wait to prune my trees now. I feel very informed on what to do! Thank you!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Your welcome!! Thanks for watching

[@TootieT5073]

Great video and very informative. I have been pruning some of my trees in to bushes for years now. I like them both as trees and shorter bushes it just depends on the location and the overall look I'm going for.

[@KaylaMalone-wk6me]

Your video has been so so helpful ! I just purchased a house and I believe that’s what I have in front of the house. There’s several throughout the yard. Am I able to send you a picture and you confirm that’s what these trees are?

[@debbieeckels25]

My neighbors cut theirs off every year so they have nubs. They look pretty bad after several years pruning like that. Here in California people do the same thing to their Mulberry trees. They look terrible. Thanks for showing people how to prune them.

[@PurpleHonee]

My rental property has 15 crepe myrtles from all ages from small little shrubbies and HUGE trees and one overgrown one I'm battling. All of them have those little 'suckers' on them. Thank you.

[@judeherbert6878]

This is awesome! I have the part about how crape myrtles should not look down pat it seems. All you have to do is look at my crape myrtles LOL.. thanks for the odd number truck advice. Looks like I'll have to let one or two of those suckers grow into a trunk on a few of my trees.

[@archjen]

Jenny, love ya! Upon illustrations are good and your humor is so natural. Thanks again for sharing….

[@tonyjames5459]

Great Video!!! Being a New Yorker moved to the south I had NO IDEA what to do with my Crape Myrtle! Thanks!

[@chriscope2786]

Thank you so much for this video. I have some crape myrtles that needed some help and this is just the information that I needed.

[@liltbennet]

I found and subscribed to this channel after searching for a recent video on pruning crape myrtles. This is my first time having to prune mine after getting it very young last year. I've never taken care of a tree this young so I was curious about it. Great information and demo! ☺

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

I am so glad that you found the video helpful! Happy gardening!

[@rachelg7371]

New subscriber from Laura’s channel. Thank you for this video on when & how to prune crepe myrtles. Yes, I felt like my gardener was murdering my myrtles and told home to stop. Also to quit making them look like lollipops lol.

[@tailzzzzz]

She prunes similar to me, except I have OCD, so I have to perfect every cut with pruning snips. I'm a natural picking out trees at nurseries. You'll see me stooping down, examining the base of the shrubs, looking for crossing branches and such. Sometimes I'll even pull a branch down that seems too close to another to imagine the shape if I were to prune it off. I've picked smaller, wimpier shrubs over taller, fuller ones that 'look' better, but were pruned improperly. I've thinned out Japanese maples to increase the air flow, eventually having them explode with beautiful growth. The only thing I'm not good at, but am getting better at, is choosing a location so that shrubs don't eventually swallow each other. I'm also losing my knack for digging holes due to age. Digging through compacted shale is crazy hard.

[@frandanco6289]

I have to dig through compacted lake bottom Clay, and there is no end to it.. I found this long, its over 6 foot tall steel digging bar at Home Depot.. It has a small chisel shape on one end and a rounded point on the other end.. I use this to break up the compacted lake bottom clay, after I have dug deeper than my pick can dig... Then the long digging bar to keep breaking up the clay, then a pair of fence post digging tool that has 2 wood handles connected to these long metal not very wide, scoops, to pull out the broken clay as i go deeper to 3 feet by 3 feet.. It's a lot of work but it will definitely get your upper body in shape.. I break up the solid pieces of clay with a sharpened square shovel that has the D handle so it's not very tall, and that helps break up the clay into way small pieces, so I can mix them with some gypsum, compost, leaves, ferttilizer, and put it all back into the hole, leaving enough room for the size of the plant, tree, etc... You will end up with extra clay, because since it was so compacted and you released the compaction, you now have more soil than you started out with... You can break up all the soil, mix it, so it stays loose, and perhaps make a nice mound soumewhere where you may want one, or something like that...

[@jsellick6468]

Dear Jenny, I’m so very sorry for your tremendous loss! The sorrow on your face and the tremor in your voice said it all! I just started watching your channel a couple of weeks ago, and it immediately became my favorite garden nursery. To see this happen is nothing short of heartbreaking! My thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with the aftermath of such devastation. God bless you! Jackie🪷

[@mooreacrestxgardenening4979]

No Crepe Murder! It's always amazing to see all the landscapers doing it..

[@innovacraft]

It's absolutely disgusting.

[@jeretso]

I see homeowners also murder their maple and cherry trees for being too tall next to the house. They look like headless horsemen.

[@wandasinger7713]

Thank you for your knowledge. I love watching your videos. My husband just pruned our Crepe Myrtles. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He didn’t use a saw but cut ten feet right off the top. My trees are twenty eight years old. Bummer. I hope they will be ok next year. This is early Dec 2021. My trees are so beautiful 😍. I hope he didn’t permanently damage them. Any advice? Blessings to you and your family 🙏🏾

[@frandanco6289]

They are going to grow a zillion, weak, straight branches, like she said they would if pruned hard... They will never grow to the size of the existing branches they came from and will just keep sending up those zillion weak long branches.. Yes, the long branches will flower, but will be weak and not able to sometimes handle the weight of all the flowers on them and will want to lean over a lot... The reason all trees, that are pruned hard do this is because it is an Emergency for them now... They need Leaves for photosynthesis.. They have to make leaves and go overboard because of the severity of the cut on all the main branches... Sorry this had to happen...

[@DavidWilliams-ju2ln]

Nice presentation. Very informative. Thank you!

[@krisfelton1142]

Awesome information. Loved this video

[@danassimplelife5046]

So glad I stumbled on this video. Because I now know how to prune mine! Yea!

[@pattycakes4672]

Thank you for this video, moved to NC and just bought a house with a crepe myrtle about 6 feet from the corner of the house and approximately20 feet tall. Needs pruning. I will be following your advice, and buying new appropriate tools for the job. Can't wait to see it in bloom.

[@LauraEllen999]

Beautiful pruning job!

[@djratino]

I have the dwarf variety that stays small. I noticed that pruning sealer helps to keep the branches from dying. I try to shape mine into a ball. I have new branches filling in, but it hasn't closed up yet like a hedge.

[@bornfree3124]

Good job honey, my 100 lb dog liked the whistling, Thank's for the vid.

[@pamketron]

Looks so much better. Great job and great tips. Now I know how to prune mine. I learned so much from this video!!!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

I'm so glad!

[@jacquelineraines2074]

I saw this just in the knick of time! I plan to trim my crepe myrtle this week. Yes, I know I'm late by Florida standards but we've had a wickedly cold winter (for us).

[@AEA11BlueMagiKK]

Knew I found the right video when I saw those Tiger Paws! And they're pointing the correct direction! I have 3 new Purple Magic Crape Myrtles, planted this past summer. Wondering if there's any special care I need to do for the winter? I'm in upstate SC.

[@mkejon71]

Fantastic info and instruction. Now I understand . thank you.

[@dreamasue]

Thanks for the info, I have 3 that has never been pruned & they are about 8-10 years old .. I’m surprised they still bloom ! Lol 😳😳😳

[@diane-vz8wd]

Thank you. Very helpful. My question is when you're pruning I noticed you stopped. Do you not go and prune up higher in the tree?

[@MiguelOjedaJr]

Great video, I went from knowing nothing to something real quick, thank you!!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Yay!!!

[@allthingznatural5592]

Good job! Looks much better.

[@terrybuckalew6874]

I have left my crepe myrtle alone and it is gorgeous

[@luciemywallace9558]

Very good information and examples. Love it

[@blairthandi7058]

Excellent video. I am about to plant 2 crepe mertyles in front of my house. Looking to get purple ones.

[@houndsmanone4563]

Thanks Jenny for the proper way to prune a crepe Myrtle. Is it possible to replant a crepe Myrtle from spot to another spot? The landscape artist put a large crepe myrtle right against the house and I was ticked off and now it's getting me more ticked just thinking about it. Funny, I've lived in eastern NC for 3+ decades and never heard the term (crape murder). Will use the pruning technique you offer viewers. Thanks and have a fine upcoming week. Enjoyed a full-watch. 👍🏽🙂

[@janiceguidry353]

I live in South Louisiana & have 32 Tonto Crepe Myrtles which are beautiful when blooming in June/July. They get up to 10 ft tall & I was lucky to have gotten all the same color along my driveway, flower beds & near my home.

[@annabelles1622]

Sounds beautiful! 🌳

[@judyparker2617]

Thank you. I'm pruning a crepe myrtle that has a fungus. It's October but it needs to be done right away before it will need to be taken out completely.😢

[@biggus6633]

Please do more pruning videos I really want to know how to prune EVERY pant

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Thanks for letting us know! We will add that to the to-do list.

[@ElvisAaronpresleybyRustyMartin]

@@GardeningwithCreekside 💚⚘ actually ,that's how I discovered you You was pruning something in your backyard

[@ElvisAaronpresleybyRustyMartin]

And I've adored ur account since

[@s.d9830]

Great video and demonstration.

[@mitchellr6927]

Thanks! My mother has one that hasn't been trimmed in geez.... 10 years or so. Im about to hop to it. Northwest Mississippi area.

[@hanselpollack4075]

So marvelous! Thank God for you..❤️

[@waterpolo881]

I wish my nurseries had transparent views on their product. I have gone to 3 nursery very large size and they all said same thing. You can keep any myrtle any size you want. I specifically mentioned “crape murder” and they looked confused. 😢. The guy said no that’s not true 😅. So now at least I know I can’t depend on their advice without checking everything twice. Lol. Thank you for the video

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Bless their hearts 😉. Out of curiosity, what state do you live in?

[@patriciadodd2376]

thank you for your video! very informative! I bought my first 2 crepe myrtles and I didn't know much about them! The 2 I bought were already chopped off across the top!!!! What do I do? How can I get these to grow bigger? And I don't even know what type of crepe they are. All I know is they have white blooms. Thank you!

[@festuswilliams9428]

Hi Patricia.

[@jlanam]

She's so cute when she's "fighting the tree"! 😆 That's REAL gardening. Thanks for the great info!

[@eauneau]

I love her special branch fighter voice. 🤣 I bet she’s great when reading to kids.

[@maceyloubrown]

My neighbor committed crape murder. It looks awful.😞 My crape myrtle is very young, so I’m still trying to grow its main trunks...still learning. Thanks for sharing.

[@katesmiles4208]

You lob like me. It's a contact sport 🤣. A wonderful stream. Thank you ❤

[@friedahickman8022]

thanks for information on correct way to prune.

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Happy to help!

[@LetsGoRavens]

Very informative! My kind of teaching. I processed it well. Thank you

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

You're very welcome!

[@angelaa8089]

😂 so funny! And very informative - I hate crape murder! All landscapers should watch this and implement!!! I also enjoy Grumpy’s articles ☺️

[@LittleJordanFarm]

Lol..you blessed me watching you prune..I have two about 1.5 ft maybe two. Should I wait till late winter or can I trim now. Thank you

[@luciepaul1]

I just bought a property that has 48 crepe myrtles. Maybe more. At least that’s how many I can count right now. Omg. I have a lot of work ahead. Yikes. Thx for sharing

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Wow!!!!!

[@opalrichardson5674]

I have several Crape Myrtle’s that have been murdered, tops completely cut off! How or what do we do to repair ? Love your videos

[@킴s전원일기킴전일]

very very beautiful~~!! thank you for video😀

[@anneandrews7053]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I truly hate to see people whack off the tops of any trees! 💚

[@shawnp6653]

Very helpful. Had new Crepe myrtles put in last fall when we moved her to north AL - probably about 8ft tall now and need cleaned up - may have a few more added this fall :)

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Glad it was helpful!

[@renaeginther6891]

Great video! Thank you! I am in California where I have 8 Myrtles and am thinking of adding more right near the house. I was considering adding some more Natchez by the house, but I will rethink it now that I saw your advice on that. Thanks again :)

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

You’re so welcome! Happy gardening!

[@Being_Joe]

Bought a house in NC with a bunch of these. Looks like I have a lot of work this comming winter / spring.

[@helend6774]

I love my crape myrtle but planted it too close to our house. I crape murdered it and see what you are saying about the blooms not standing straight up because the limbs aren't strong enough. So I learned for the next time I plant one.

[@nuellaluther3907]

My crape myrtle is about 50 years old and about 50 feet tall, nice blooms but they are so high we cannot enjoy them. The five trunks are each two combined (crossovers that were not pruned) and are 30" around. It is February and my son seems willing to trim the tree. Is it possible to top it off? I would like it to be about 10 12 feet. I live in North Georgia. Thanks for your very informative videos

[@imahappygal1]

Looks so neat afterwards!

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

imahappygal1 it does doesn’t it? The right pruning makes all the difference!

[@garyK.45ACP]

Great video. I have a beautiful huge white crepe myrtle in the front yard nearly 20 feet wide and about 16 ft. tall, It looks like a huge umbrella! People drive by, stop and take photos of it when it is covered in white blooms...BUT In my backyard I have one (pink) that looks like the one you just pruned. I need to get busy! 😁

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Oh wow!

[@lisatague305]

Love this video and Grumpy

[@kepolanobriga5761]

Very helpful video. Thanks!

[@irenesmith6735]

Very good video, helpful and informative. am thankful for someone who really knows and gives the truth. Love it

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Glad it was helpful!

[@SAHamel_]

Good tutorial, Thanks

[@SouthernYankee]

We have 4 gorgeous ones that maybe never were pruned at least in last year 10 years and we inherited them they are massive!! Also some have reseeded and are mini trees about a foot high. Can we cut those down or do I need to dig from ground?

[@frandanco6289]

I would just take some hand pruners or Loppers and cut those mini trees at ground level... They should stop coming up eventually if you keep after them..

[@bekriegII]

Hi, thank you for this informative! I’ve been used to clipping the previous buds off the ends of the previous years growth. Should I not be doing this?

[@GardeningwithCreekside]

Great questions! It certainly helps the crape myrtle look better by clipping off the old blooms, but it doesn't help or hurt the tree. When my Natchezs were small I would do that every year, but now that they are a lot bigger I can't reach them. If you're able to reach the old blooms and you enjoy the cleaner look then go for it! Happy gardening!

[@traceywest8339]

Hi there, what a wonderful and informative video! Thank you! I am a VERY new gardener. I have 3 crepe myrtles beside my home, the type you had in the video. They are young, 1.5 years old and already 10 feet tall! They are lining my carport. Should I have them removed? I'm worried they will get too tall

[@oldprankster7606]

I can no longer count the number of Crepe Murders that have been committed in my area - and it's not done by the homeowner, it's been committed by so called landscape services. The same sort of unprofessional services that offer tree topping (a great way to destroy a tree). Good presentation on how to properly train and restrain the growth of these tough, beautiful plants. One tip: when you use hand pruners, it's a good idea to wear a work glove on the hand that is holding the branch to be cut. It's very easy to get those pruners too close to those fingers - I've done it, and learned my lesson!

[@michaelhorner4011]

A hand saw works good for the bigger branches .... loppers are for smaller branches ..... makes doing the job more easy on your body :)

[@laya0563]

I think my tree is too close to the house and it’s on the corner and is covered with this white stuff that looks like moss. I need to start over. I love your videos ❤️❤️