TREES > DOGWOOD > PRUNING

IN THIS scout

DOGWOOD GUIDES

Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ shrub with variegated green and white leaves and creamy flowering clusters

Container GrowingPruningTransplantingVarieties

Dogwood shrubs , not to be mixed up with dogwood trees , are unusual and extremely interesting plants with a very special spin .

Though the Brobdingnagian majority of their varieties displayvariegated or superbly coloured leaf , produce an teemingness of tiny flower and even brook little berries , they are valued most for their technicolour stems .

bright red stems of a Cornus shrub growing in a woodland area with snowdrops behind them

It is because of these stems that these fully hardy deciduous shrubs leave wintertime colour you may enjoy the wad of a ornamental fretwork of ruby or favourable stems breaking the monotony of the greyish sky above and the livid snow beneath .

It must be said that you do n’t need to lop a dogwood bush .

However , pruning is highly worthy and can assist to maximise the shrub ’s ornamental prayer , let in the stems ’ brilliant colouring .

gold, yellow and brown stems of several dogwood shrubs in a row that have been cut back to the base

Underneath we manoeuvre you on the why s , when s , and how s on pruning cornel bush .

Why Prune Dogwood?

Dogwood shrub , like many member of the industrial plant realm , respond to pruning with a salvo of smart growth .

The most extravagantly - coloured stems on a dogwood shrub are the new growth and the greyest , dullest ones are the former .

This is one reason that pruning can be good for these shrub , as you may get rid of the least colourful and cosmetic prow and replace them with new brightly - coloured ones .

Cornus alba shrub with crossing red branches that are turning grey and in need of pruning

These bush can also become straggly and unkempt or look unbalanced as a result of uneven ontogeny or a hapless pruning job last clock time around .

A right passementerie will better the esthetics of a dogwood tree bush by reestablish sizing , shape and equaliser .

Another understanding to prune arises when dense , overlapping growth causes these bush to become clog up .

ovate variegated leaves of a Cornus alba being pruned by a pair of blue secateurs

Pruning undesirable stems to reduce congestion and unfold up the shrub is another fashion to restore or raise its ornamental appeal .

When To Prune Dogwood

Instead of waiting until your cornel shrub need pruning , good pattern suggests that you give it an one-year prune .

This can be done anytime during winter dormancy , but the ideal timeframe is tardy February , as this will permit you to enjoy the sight of those colourful stems during the winter .

yearly maintenance pruning should not be done when the shrub is in its first year , so only prune from the second twelvemonth onwards .

large pruners being used to cut back a cornus shrub in the garden

likewise , a hard prune or cutback should not be attempted when the shrub is one or two age quondam – you may do so only after it is three years old or more .

The Pruning Process

Use a pair of acute secateurs and desex the blades with dilute chafe alcohol or diluted bleach before using .

Prune down to the land any fore that are dead , diseased or originate at a precipitous slant .

take the weaker of any which rub together , and remove these too .

dogwood shrubs growing in close proximity that have been cut right back

Also , cut down stanch that are honest-to-god .

They will be greyish and will display a raspy grain .

“ you’re able to cut the quondam shank , where the colouring is confined to the very tips , back to a pair of buds between primer level and a height of around 40 cm , ” explains Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .

ultimately , judiciously prune the remaining fore – those with stronger colour – for distance and shape so as to attain a balanced and symmetrical bod .

Generally , these stem should be trimmed by about one - half of their length .

Thin , wispy shank can be cut back harder .

Feel free to prune some stems down to about 10 cm .

The fresh growth this pruning will stimulate will ensue in a richness of very brightly - coloured root .

Hard Pruning Dogwood

If your dogwood bush is congested and overgrown , you could reboot it with a gruelling prune .

To do so , bring down back all the theme on the shrub to about 10 cm above the dry land .

Aim to make the cut just above the first or 2nd folio node .

Cut each stem with a pair of sterilize secateurs or pruning shears , loppers or a pruning saw . If using a pruning power saw , make a small incision on one side , and then foreshorten across from the other side to gather this . This helps prevent snagging and tearing of stem .

Again , the right time is during wintertime quiescency .

Yes , it will be a time - wipe out chore , but consider it a labor of love .

You will surely reap a brilliantly - coloured reward !

“ I consider dogwoods look estimable en masse , in turgid drifts or cluster , if you have the space , ” says Peter .

“ To add interest and a tiered upshot , you could cut some back so their colourful leg start around 40 atomic number 96 or 20 cm from the ground , and others so they branch from the footing .

“ Cutting higher may allow you to establish bulbs or priming cover underneath . ”

After such a cutback , feed the shrub with a balanced normal when fresh increase is emerging in spring .