Proper Pruning of Crepe Myrtles

It could be any of a number of things. Is it getting full sun (at least 6 hours per day)? Does it have good drainage? Is it too close to a large tree such as an oak tree, whose roots will be competing with it for water? How long has it been since it was last fertilized? Is it possible that someone sprayed weed & grass killer on a windy or breezy day, and some of the sprays got on the myrtle tree? Does it appear to have a disease or a fungus? To see that, look at the leaves. Are they spotty? Some crepe myrtles are susceptible to powdery mildew. It looks like a white powder on the leaves. That's all I can think of at this time.

You definitely can. If you remove the whole cluster of immature seed pods as soon as the flowers drop, you will get a 2nd bloom cycle. Then to prevent seeds forming, remove the next set of seed pods before they ripen.

During the first year, fertilize once per month. After that first year, you can back off a bit, fertilizing once or twice during the growing season. Use a 8-8-8 or 10-10-10, and begin fertilizing when the first leaves appear in spring. Stop fertilizing in fall when the leaves begin to turn autumn colors and drop.

It's fine to remove the part that has grown into the house. Just be sure to make your cuts are at a joint, as shown, and be sure to cut on a slant, so water will run off. To prevent a lopsided appearance, you could remove some all the way around the tree, maybe removing more on the side by the house. Be sure to wait about pruning until danger of a freeze is passed, because pruning encourages new growth that can be damaged in a freeze or frost.

It depends on how badly they are butchered. If they look as bad as the one I referred to as appearing to have "knobby arthritic knees" I would cut it all the way back to the ground, and let it start over. They grow amazingly fast, so it shouldn't be long before they're tall again. If they're not too badly butchered, you could simply stop the incorrect pruning, and begin pruning correctly, or not prune at all. Of course, if they have branches scraping against your house, or if they are hanging over your neighbor's property, you may want to prune them. Be sure to wait about pruning until danger of a freeze is passed because pruning encourages new growth that can be damaged in a freeze or frost.

Without seeing it, I can't be sure. Here in central Florida, our myrtles get lichens on the trunks. Some of the lichens are fuzzy, some are "peely" for lack of a better word. They won't harm the tree, but I prefer to see the beautiful peeling bark, so I wear gloves and rub (or scrub) it off. If you don't believe your "wormy things" are lichens, you can send me a photo at gardenerandcookblog@gmail.com

To return it to the tree size that it wants to be, I would remove all but 3 or 4 of the main trunks, then remove the little side branches from the lower portion of those remaining trunks. Also, remove any twigs or branches that grow back to the center of the tree. If you have any two that lie against each other and rub in the wind, remove one of them. Good luck with it. I hope it turns out well for you. Be sure to wait about pruning until danger of a freeze has passed because pruning encourages new growth that can be damaged in a freeze or frost.

A fungus or some types of mold, such as black spot will be on the leaves. Often crepe myrtles will have lichens growing on the bark. If it is lichen, it will not harm the tree. Some people, myself included, don't like the appearance of the lichen-covered trunks. While wearing garden gloves, I slide my hands up and down to remove the lichens. On the other hand, if what you have is a fungus, you spray with a fungicide. Also, be sure to remove any dropped leaves that have the spots from the ground below. If they are not removed, rain or irrigation will splash the mold spores back up onto the tree and any surrounding plants.

They can easily grow to 6 to 8 feet tall. Occasionally larger. The standards, on the other hand, can grow to 20 to 30 feet.

I apologize for being so long in replying. I haven't logged on for a while. Just remove the entire group of seed pods. If you didn't do it last summer, wait until any chance of freeze or frost has passed. Pruning encourages new growth, and the tender new growth could be damaged by freezing temps or frost.

Sure you can. Please send it them to: gardenerandcookblog@gmail.com, and I'll see how and if I can help.

Always cut at a joint, as shown in my photo titled, "Where to Make the Cut". Always cut on an angle, to prevent water from sitting on the raw wood, and eventually seeping into it. You can remove some of the larger/thicker branches -- just be sure to cut them at the point where they emerge from another branch or the main trunk. Definitely do it yourself. The utility guys will butcher your myrtles.

Unfortunately, one of them must go. It's best to remove a small twig or branch that will grow to rub against another as soon as you see it, but it sounds like it's too late for that. If one of yours is not removed, they will eventually fuse together. Take a look at the direction in which each branch is growing. If is growing back toward the center of the tree, it should be the one to go, as should any other branches/twigs growing in that direction. If neither is growing toward the center, choose the smaller or weaker one. We just relocated, and there are several myrtles with fused branches and some not yet fused, but damaged bark. Looks like you and I both have our work cut out for us.

Your crepe myrtle may have been infested with aphids. They are small yellowish-green insects that pierce the leaves, then suck the sap. Their droppings (poop) is called a honeydew because it is sticky and sweet. The honeydew can drip onto anything below the branches such as your car, a sidewalk, or other plants. If left long enough black fungus called sooty mold will grow on it. If the mold has not yet formed, the honeydew can be removed with insecticidal soap using your garden hose for a strong spray, using one of those bottles that attach to your hose. If the black fungus has already formed, you can remove it. I once removed it from a small shrub using a toothbrush and soapy water. I'm sure you won't want to do this on a tree, so you can simply remove those branches, or spray the tree with a fungicide -- maybe do both. There is a good organic one called "Garden Safe" that I use. I tried to put an Amazon ad for this product on my Crepe Myrtle article, but HubPages wouldn't allow it, stating the reason that Amazon does not provide information for 3rd party users.

Shipping large plants is difficult and extremely expensive. That's probably why you got something much smaller than expected. Crepe myrtles grow quickly. Install it in good soil with good drainage. Fertilize it with something like Osmocote. It comes in little beads that will continuously feed for 2 - 3 months. You can feed it 2 or 3 times spring to fall. Do not feed during winter. It needs to rest then. Water it every day for the first week, then once per week for the remainder of the first month. After that, rain should be enough unless you have a period of drought. I hope this helps.

That's really strange! It could be that there were 2 plants in one container when the tree was delivered. If the white one came up from the ground level to be that tall in just a few weeks, I'm not sure what to tell you. It sounds like it would be pretty with both pink and white together, even it it is a bit strange. I researched this for you, but cannot find anything. Sorry I can't be more help. Maybe take a good photo of it to your local county extension office for local master gardeners to take a look.

I see no reason to trim them unless they are at risk of breaking the limbs. If you need to prune them, do it just as described in my article: at a joint, and always on a slant.

Removing the sucker growth at ground level is the only thing I know to do. After talking with my other master gardeners colleagues, we agreed, it's a lot of work, but worth it. Maybe you could pay a local kid or lawn maintenance guy to do it for you.