Pruning for flowering shrubs and trees

Ed Duke and Sam Hand Florida A&M University As a general rule, pruning is best done on small growth, except for the purpose of plant restoration. Mutilating a tree, such as crepe myrtle, by destructive removal of large limbs will produce a lot of new growth.  Crepe myrtles flower on new wood, so yes, you will get a lot of flowering, but it is flowering which would have naturally occurred anyway on the tree's seasonal spring growth. However, since the tree is deciduous, all you will have