Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: questions on some crepe myrtle bushes, 0 by Weerobin

Weerobin wrote:
I prune my crepe myrtles at any time and have had no problems.
Alas, I'm not organized enough to prune on a schedule.
I use a rather helter-skelter approach to gardening chores.

I think an underappreciated quality of these plants is their beautiful bark.
I isolate 3 or 4 sturdy stems and prune away all others.
I then prune away all the small branches to height of 5 ft or so, exposing the pretty bark.
Result is a tree-like clump. I think it's more attractive and tidier than the bushy form.
They will continue to put out new stems at the base, which I trim away, usually in spring.
Mine flower beautifully and look great the rest of the year also.

Here's a shot of the clump at the base, including a couple suckers I need to trim away.
(The plasting netting is to protect the trunk from my deer friends.)