"heppiechik" jayep99atyahoodotcom wrote in message
...
When is the best time to prune them? I am in zone 8a.
Thanks

In your zone (also true of most zones where crepes grow) it's not necessary
to prune crepes at all. The bark on the large crepe varieties is beautiful
during the cool/cold season. That being said, it does make sense to remove
spent flower on them after they bloom. They bloom on new wood and will
rebloom after removing the spent blooms.

The only logical reason for pruning crepes is when they are planted in an
area that is too small to accommodate the natural growth of the variety. I
have found that there are dwarf varieties (crepe myrtlettes) that work well
with minimal pruning in limited areas. When large varieties of crepes are
pruned in the spring in our area, it is referred to as "crepe murder." G

John