Pruning red branchlet dogwood tree on a regular basis will give you the most vibrantly - colour stems .
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Red branchlet cornel are exceptionalshrubs for adding gorgeous people of colour to your yard . Their scarlet - hue bare stem practically glow in the wintertime landscape . But over time , the coloring of the stems begins to dull . With a little pruning , however , you may once again enjoy brightly colorise stems on your red twigdogwood . Keeping your bush trim is an easygoing semi - one-year labor you’re able to easily do without the need for expensive expert or maintenance crews . habituate this elementary guide to see out when and how to prune your cerise twig dogwood shrubs .
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Red Twig Dogwood Basics
Also known as red osier dogwood , the red twig dogwood ( Cornus sericea ) is a native deciduous shrub . Itthrives in USDA zona 3 - 7 , make it an extremely cold tolerantoption for thick hedgesin northern states . In good raise conditions , these bush can easily reach upward of 10 feet . In improver to colorful root , red twig dogwood tree offer white heyday clusters in spring and bloodless berries in late summertime . They unremarkably do n’t requirefertilizer or soil amendment , and aside from a few pests , red twigs generally grow without issue .
As with many dogwoods , red branchlet prefer evenly moist weather condition and can tolerate part shade during the summer months . However , direct Lord’s Day exposure during the wintertime monthsis key to lend out their bright wintertime colors . In the landscape painting , they look especially striking in winter when planted near evergreens . And because of their beautiful stems , red twig dogwoods are oftenused in wintertime containersand other outside decoration because their cut of meat stems will last for calendar month without pass off or turn brown .
Several red twig dogwood varieties have come onto the market in late eld . Yellow bow , orange stem , and multicolored choice are popular choices for bringing some variety to the landscape when veryfew plant show any wintertime color . For a splash of snowy in summertime , vary options take color even to louche spots , while dwarf varieties of red sprig dogwoodswork well in small yards .
When to Prune Red Twig Dogwoods
The vibrant colour of red twig dogwoods show up best on younger stem . As the bow age , they produce brown bark . To sustain your shrub ’s red-faced colour , some pruning is necessary . Overly large plants also gain from a severe pruning , tolerate even overgrown behemoths to return to a more suitable and insure size .
Although red twig dogwood tree are tough plant that can treat even heavy pruning with ease , it ’s well toprune them during the ripe time of the year . Once you have decided to trim back your dogwood , do so in late winter just before buds have begun to open up . This will admit the industrial plant to produce a new stage set of flower bud for the following time of year while sacrificing only some of the current season ’s flush .
How to Prune Red Twig Dogwoods
For jr. plants only a few age old , it ’s a good mind to get a head teacher set about on pruning before older branches begin to slow . Each twelvemonth , begin by cut off the old branches to about 8 in above the dirt level . bump off any bushed , wiped out , or twisted branches first and be heedful to evenly space cuttings across the base of the plant . This will aid avoid create cockeyed plants and bare spots . Always use clean , keen blades and make even swing to minimize thechance of plant diseases taking hold .
For dogwoods that have become unruly , woody , and unsightly , you could easily reinvigorate your shrub through hard pruning . To do so , cut the entire plant back to about 18 column inch above the ground . This method is only recommend as a last ditch effort because color , flowers , andany screen that the plant provideswill be lost for at least a few age . To cut through thick stems and leg , utilise a newly sharpened and desexualise pruning saw . Make unobjectionable cuts through the wood and seek to avoid splintering or tear the bark on the remain stump .
In most case , healthy red twig dogwood will slowly spread out from the original plant over the eld . However , you could remove suckers with a shovel , like to how you mightdivide a repeated industrial plant . Between the sucker and the main plant , use the shovel ’s blade to cut the underground fore . The sucker can then be pull from the soil and dispatch or transplanted to a new placement .
