Beginner Gardening: Pruning damaged Crape Myrtles, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
Diana is correct - these will need annual pruning - especially the suckers and side branches off the main trunk(s). This just makes it looks so much tidier. I like to limb them up some but some folks like to leave them natural which looks like a green bush (to me). Once the trunks reach a certain size you may want to prune out a trunk or two to give it more shape but that is a personal choice. Some look good with 1 main trunk, some with 2, 3, and 4 trunks. Some like many trunks.

You can also top out the wayward branches or the ones that are too spindly to hold the weight of the blooms. Here is one of mine earlier this summer with all the weight on the entire limb leaning over the AC unit. I didn't have the heart to cut it out despite the awkwardness of it.