TREES > DOGWOOD

IN THIS GUIDE

DOGWOOD GUIDES

white flowering dogwood tree against backdrop of a blue sky

Container GrowingPruningTransplantingVarieties

Want an ornamental tree for a stamp - stamp - sized landscape in your garden ? One that will supply virtually year - troll colour ?

Well , a flower Dogwood will offer richly - hued de facto flush for a couple of months . shining scarlet berries , most of them edible , will adopt .

white dogwood flowers with sun breaking through in background

C. controversa

Autumn will bring forth blazes of reds and purpleness , and winter will take adorable ramify bod or extremely - textured bark into view .

Overview

PreferredFull Sun or Partial Shade

ExposureExposed or Sheltered

Height4 – 8 G

red berries hanging from a cornus tree

Spread2.5 – 4 thou

Bloom TimeSummer

PreferredMost soil type

peaceful zen garden with pink flowering dogwood and lake in the background

MoistureMoist but well - drained

pHAny

If you want several garden landscape painting trees with notable ornamental note value and which will provide twelvemonth - round interest , search no further than Dogwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .

newly propagated cornus plants in small black pots sat on weed fabric

Some species are even appreciated for their eye - commit , textured bark .

And this is only a general precis – virtually each diversity of Dogwood bring its own very special decorative time value and visual appealingness to the garden .

Dogwood trees belong to Genus Cornus but not all Cornus are Dogwoods as such , for Dogwood trees are a subset of this genus which is further compose of much - branching shrubs and also a few rhizomatous subshrubs .

Green and Cream Variegated Leaves of Cornus controversa

C. controversa

However , there is no hard - and - libertine telephone line between Cornus Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and Cornus shrubs because several species or cultivars can be either a magniloquent shrub , or a small tree , depending on whether or not the specimen is cut back , andhowit is prune .

“ Some Cornus shrubs have brightly coloured stems and are ordinarily coppiced annually for a wintertime exhibit , ” says Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol .

“ This is a unlike group of plant life to the Flowering Dogwoods line in this article . ”

black taped ends of grafting on dogwood trees

Most Dogwood trees are quite slow - growing even though they are not overstorey tree or peculiarly tall tree .

Many Dogwood diversity including very popularC. kousaand cultivars reach heights of only about 7 m and even most of the taller single usually attain height of 10 - 12 m.

Some species take ‘ only ’ 20 years to attain their ultimate height while others take 30 and even 40 years .

white flowering dogwood shown over a rocky stream with flowing water

As a solution Dogwood wood is of a superb quality , being strong and impenetrable – it is also desirable for its pretty grain patterns .

How To Grow Dogwoods

As understorey trees , Dogwoods are quite comfy in part - shade locations .

However , the Sunday - shade preference depends on the fussy smorgasbord and also the climatic zone that that form is planted in .

In most regions of England , seat Kousa varieties in mottled sunlight or good afternoon shade would be preferred over full sun .

autumn foliage of Cornus florida

At the same clock time , do not implant them in full shadiness which would be worse than full sun .

American - native Cornus varieties should be sited in full sun , otherwise partial sun .

As smaller Tree with shallow roots , dogwood tree trees need to be watered .

The sunnier their locating and the hotter the weather , the greater their necessity for water , both in amount and frequency .

Dogwood trees may be bid landscape - ornamental tree diagram ; they are not shade trees and sure as shooting not marvellous tree , and should be sited consequently .

Depending on the particular variety of Dogwood tree , it can be planted in front of a dwelling or behind it , at the boundary of a property , or at the rear of flower bushes .

With hardiness military rating of Zone H5 or H6 , all Dogwood trees are sturdy throughout the United Kingdom .

genus Cornus tree can be propagated in any routine of ways : from source , softwood slip , semi - hardwood cuttings , hardwood cuttings , grafting , and even fall guy , each method acting in the season - appropriate and suitable to it .

Virtually every kind of these Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can be propagated by at least two of these methods .

Propagating Dogwood trees from seeds is troublesome and is a method best left to expert ; also trees grown from seeds take several years to mature .

Grafting is the method of choice but this method also need expertise .

Though you’re able to growsomeDogwood tree diverseness from cutting without much difficulty , you will have to equal the method to the variety as well as the time of year , after which you will need to prune correctly and see over it patiently as it will take class to mature .

amateur and home gardeners will typically get Dogwood trees as a potted plant or bare antecedent works .

If you have a selection between the two , opt for a potted plant even though it will be more , as these can be planted yr - bout as opposed to bare - root which must be planted in wintertime .

Dogwood Care

The good filth for Dogwood tree diagram is a unaffixed , fecund one that drains very well . dumbly - packed or heavy soils are unsuitable .

Sandy loam amended with organic humus , compost , peat , or some combination thereof would be everlasting . It may have a level of gravel or perlite .

Dogwood trees prefer acidic soils . cornu floridaand other American - originated varietiesrequireacidic soil ; they will not boom in close to achromatic pH soil .

Soil pH in the fairly acidic to slightly acidulous range should work well – 5.6 - 6.5 ( which may be a little lower but not a little high ) .

C. kousaand its cultivars also opt acidic land but the slightly acidic to neutral range is best for these sort .

Ideally , potted Dogwoods should be transplanted during mid - winter to mid - spring . Do not transplant them in autumn .

Many potted Dogwoods are grafts .

The most square way to go about it is to constitute it to a filth level matching that at which it was in the pot .

Otherwise , if you get a spare - root tree diagram , plant it to about three - fourths of the source ball , keep about a quarter of it above ground .

Do not stash away a stripped root Dogwood after you receive it .

take out it immediately , examine the root organization for problems , and set it in a large pail of water for the root word arrangement to soak for 12 - 15 hours prior to plant .

After transplant a potted tree give it a threatening watering .

Give a bare root specimen whose roots had been sop a restrained watering .

Keep in idea that Dogwoods are shallow - rooted Tree ; therefore , they should be irrigate periodically and consistently .

They are not drouth - tolerant tree . The amount of sun and extent of the heat would dictate the amount and frequency of watering .

You will necessitate to be more thoughtful to the piddle needs of developing and young trees than mature and effected ones .

At the same sentence be sure that the rootage do not get waterlogged and that the grime drains well .

cornel trees do not need fertilising , peculiarly if your grime is fertile and has organic content , but if you must , fertilise only from its third year .

Fertilise in early spring using a lighter - than - recommended app of 12 - 8 - 8 liquid fertiliser .

mulch around the al-Qaida will be helpful no matter what area you are in .

In warm , gay clime , it will keep the soil moist for longer ; in gelid climate it will protect the rootage during hard frosts .

Tree Pruning

Dogwoodtreevarieties demand petty , if any , pruning and some should not be prune at all .

Shrubson the other handdo require a stricter pruning regime .

Be aware , though , that if you wish to grow a Cornus bush as a miniature tree diagram , you will need to choose a loss leader , pilfer out competing stems , and let the leader develop to the broad .

For the most part , all you want to do is to prune dead , broken , or diseased offset ( such branches must be removed ) .

Other than that , you should prune when two branches are cut across and touching one another .

If you see a branch go forth from the groundwork of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , this too should be pruned for cosmetic reasons .

All pruning should be done in winter and no later than former spring .

Larger branches should be pruned usingthe Three - Cut Method .

Be very measured about take out any suckers sequester to the bole of the tree as you do not want to cause a lesion on the trunk .

sucker keep on the nearby ground may be murder in wintertime or the sucker shoots may be mowed over during any time of year .

Common Problems

Dogwood tree are loosely very pest - free trees .

The Asiatic varieties plusC. nuttalliiand , especially , C. floridaand its cultivar ( but not other American specie ) are susceptible to cornus anthracnose .

It is a fungal disease that cause blotches on leaves anddefoliation , and dieback of stems .

Cornus anthracnose can not be plow by the hobbyist gardener ; this disease calls for the attention of a professional botanist or horticulturist .

Fallen leaves and affected theatrical role of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree should be remove and demolish .

you could avoid fungal diseases , origin bunk , and such by ensuring that the tree is constitute in the right eccentric of stain , that the soil pH is not alkaline , it is not sited in full shade , and the soil does not stay damp or waterlogged .