Dear Donna, Crepe myrtle is a beautiful plant that is also very durable in the landscape. Multiple stemmed plants are typically created when first planted in the growing nurseries and later offered for sale as a multiple stemmed plant. Crepe Myrtle now is available in different maturing heights allowing you to have the right sized plant for your landscape site. Ones that are too large will end up being pruned too much and you ruin the natural shape, one of the reasons you plant a myrtle in the first place. If yours have several branches coming from the ground, pick 3-5 for the main trunks, prune those up and prune away the remaining ones to develop the taller tree form you want. Myrtle will flower annually without any pruning if left alone to grow. If you intend to prune, light pruning in what I will call your late winter or early spring for your area will encourage a bit more new growth to give you a better flower show. You never want to “Top” your myrtle.
Most of your fruit trees bear fruit (flowers first of course) on 2 year old wood. If you prune too vigorously and promote a lot of vegetative growth, flower production suffers. If you have a lot of flowers but little fruit, you may have a pollination problem. Many fruit trees bear much better if cross-pollinated. If you know the tree varieties you have, check a fruit tree catalog to be sure they can cross-pollinate each other. Your goal will be to balance fruit production and vegetative growth. Once good fruit production starts, it will naturally slow vegetative growth. Over pruning and fertilization will stimulate vegetative growth and lessen any flowering and fruiting.
Sincerely, Richard Hentschel
