Beginner's Guide to Myrtle Bushes

Crepe Myrtle, scientific name Lagerstroemia, is a kind of shrub that is locally found in the Indian subcontinent, northern Australia, Southeast Asia, and some parts of Oceania. This shrub is best cultivated in warmer climates around the globe. The name Lagerstroemia is actually based on an actual person, a Swedish merchant who went by the name of Magnus von Lagerstrom. Various sorts are cultivated to meet usual landscape needs. Myrtle bushes are mainly known for the colorful as well as long-lasting flowers that they have. If you are thinking about planting yourself some, here's a quick guide to myrtle bushes.

Trimming Myrtle Bushes

Sometimes crepe myrtle bushes can be mistaken as trees because they have not been trimmed thus not having the usual shortness of bushes. Some people prefer to let the bush grow taller and then selectively trim those while there are others who trim them small and keep it that way because they usually bloom more profusely. This is because the bush usually blooms during new growth and trimming them more encourages more blooms.

In trimming myrtle bushes, the best time varies depending on where you grow them. If you have trees that are tough, trimming them any time from late fall until early spring is fine. But if you live where trees could suffer during the winter, wait for early spring before you trim your myrtle bushes.

How to Trim Myrtle Bushes

If you want your shrub to have a more natural look, do thin cuts and remove entire stems up to the branch where they originally grew from. You have to thin out all crossing branches. Choose how small you want the bush to be and from there, remove all the branches that are growing outside your set boundary.

If you are a novice with trimming myrtle bushes, you can always step back and observe how the trimming has gone from a distance. Be sure to remove equal amounts of wood from all sides to keep it balanced.

Once you're done with thinning the bush, now make some cuts to remove the upper portion of a stem to have shorter or a fuller-looking myrtles bush. Always bear in mind that crepes bloom at the tips of the stem so the thicker the bush, the more number of stem tips it will soon have and thus, more flowers.