Crapemyrtle Pruning: Skip the "Knobbing," Try Pencil Pruning

Hard pruning to "knuckles" (pollarding) is common in commercial medians but ruins the natural grace of crapemyrtles for home landscapes. Instead, use "pencil pruning": cut each limb back to where it's thicker than a pencil. After a few years, selectively remove a few larger limbs to open the canopy.

Best time: mid-December through mid-February.