Cornus for colourful winter stems - Duration: 2:36. Tree Services? Basics of pruning Dogwood in February. Once you’ve cut all this back you should be left with the thinner fresher growth. The dogwood is a deciduous tree that drops its leaves in late fall, becoming dormant during winter. This is when their new growth is starting to emerge. Producing coloured stems is a popular reason for pruning the dogwood tree. Since they grow only 15 to 30 feet (4.6-9 m.) tall, there is room for a dogwood tree in almost any landscape. When choosing a Cotinus to plant in the garden it is good to bear in mind that Cotinus can grow quite large. The age of the shrub will have a bearing. Planting Dogwoods combine well in borders with the white winter stems of the ghost bramble (Rubus cockburnianus or R. thibetanus) for contrast, and also look good with emerging early spring bulbs.. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. You should not snip buds off during the dormant season since doing so will cut the flowers off before they have the chance to open, rather than simply redirecting the energy. Some groups of shrub, such as the spireas have varieties that flower on either old or new growth. Managing large shrubs isn’t done overnight. Prune the shrub at a slight angle so that there is a gradual thickening towards the base. Some guides advise that you hard prune Cornus each year but I would advise against this. The team are really pleased they come across professional and friendly. There are 2 main reasons to only prune during the dormant period. Cornus are common shrubs here in the UK. New Trees. Then stand back and watch your shrub explode with new growth as soon as the weather warms up. If you have a dogwood tree that could do with pruning or trimming, why not talk to T.H. Your email address will not be published. 2:36. If you have newly planted shrubs that are a year or two old you probably don’t need to coppice them just yet. Also cut out any damaged or dead stems. After that, hard prune them every March. 2. This, again, means you should prune them back when the trees and berries aren’t producing. Without any pruning, the shrub becomes rounded and upright, up to 3 metres (10 feet) tall and equally wide. Coppicing and pollarding shrubs Shrubs grown for their colourful stems or foliage, such as dogwood, need to be cut down every spring to 4-5 buds to encourage new growth. The red dogwood bush (Cornus stolonifera or C. sericea) is also known as red osier or red twig dogwood because of the color of its young branches. The easiest and most dramatic winter prune is to clear-fell everything you see to the ground. Cornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as Dogwoods. Dormant pruning allows the tree or shrub to deal with healing the cut, without having to worry about producing leaves and flowers or sending out new growth. I have a number of different Cornus shrubs, some I leave to do their own thing. Red robin is planted from shoots of another tree, so this time of its growth is very important. When you prune will depend entirely on what type of pruning you are doing. Prune trees regularly throughout their life to keep them healthy, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. This is when their new growth is starting to emerge. She demonstrates how to reduce the height and rejuvenate the shrub. You’re aiming for an open form so think of an open palmed hand with fingers pointing outwards as the right shape. This feature is not available right now. Those grown for colourful winter stems need moist soil and full sun, while other types need a moist but well-drained, neutral to acidic soil in a sheltered, sunny spot. The image is of Spiraea douglasii - typical of later flowering Spiraeas that need pruning differently to … The best time to prune is in the late fall or winter while the tree is dormant. People ask if they can trim a dogwood in the summer or cut back a dogwood in the fall, but the best time to prune a dogwood tree is in late fall until late winter. You should not snip buds off during the dormant season since doing so will cut the flowers off before they have the chance to open, rather than simply redirecting the energy. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. So let’s cut them back to 3- 4 inches above soil level. Once you have completed renovation by overgrown shrub pruning, take the time every year to remove two or three of the older branches. Learn how your comment data is processed. Dogwood Red To get the brightest coloured stems, Dogwoods should be treated with "tough love" - dont prune them in the first year, but after that, before they bud (February/March) cut them down to a woody base within 4" of the ground every year, feed and water well and you will be rewarded with bright new shoots. If you prune them back in the winter you will be cutting away all the bloom buds for the upcoming spring bloom season. In fact, you may have one and not even know as established Cornus lose their firey coloured stems as they turn brown and lignify over the years. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is important to leave the bottom of the shrub wider than the top of the shrub after you prune it or the bottom of the shrub will not get adequate light. You can Tweet, Facebook or Instagram me. During the years that follow, introduce a bi-annual pruning regime which should be sufficient to maintain the tree’s shape, attractive appearance and overall health. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A harbinger of spring in parts of the country that enjoy mild winters, flowering dogwood trees boast an abundance of pink, white or red flowers long before the first leaves appear in spring. There’s also some debate over whether or not we should hard prune Cornus and keep forcing these bright stems. I recommend leaving these alone until they are about 3 years old and becoming more congested and woody. Before we start whipping out the secateurs I do need to say a bit about when to hard prune (coppice) Cornus shrubs such as Cornus sibirica or Cornus flaviramea. Prune back to ground level - or just slightly above with this group of Spiraea shrubs. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Sat closed As for any diseased or damaged stems or branches, these should be removed as soon as they are spotted so that the tree remains safe and healthy. All you need is a sharp pair of secateurs, a set of loppers for thicker stems or a wood saw if needed. Cut all the stems down to about 6 inches above ground level, just after where the plant begins to branch out at the base. Please try again later. This guide is going to show you how to hard prune a Dogwood to ensure that each winter you have the brightest stems and a vigorous dogwood shrub. This could cause the ninebark to grow poorly. It requires no maintenance or pruning, very easy to grow. Once you have determined that a shrub blooms on the previous year's growth (old wood), you know that the correct time to prune it is immediately after it finishes blooming. Cornus will thrive in damp soil which makes it an ideal shrub for planting streamside or alongside a pond in damp soil. For general shaping, prune the shrub right after it has finished blooming up to July. Dogwood (Cornus), hazel (Corylus) and willow (Salix) that are grown for winter stem colour In late autumn/early winter, prune to restrict the height and width of their growth. Allow the entire shrub to rejuvenate over summer and fall. We are NOT talking about the flowering Dogwoods - Cornus - which are NOT grown for their stem colour. They respond really well to coppicing so every 2-3 years, remove all the growth above a … If your Cornus is relatively well kept it should be easy to spot these buds as they will have leaves on them. Same growing conditions but a more compact shrub … Hand Pruning Shears: Stems up to half inch in diameter can be pruned with hand shears. The shrub does best with regular water, at least once a week during warm weather, and tolerates a range of soil types but prefers damp locations. It will lead to weaker regrowth. For nice thick clump, you can plant them 3ft / 90cms apart. For a free, no-obligation quotation, contact our helpful experts on 01268 642814 or get in touch here. Now we want to take back all remaining stems to 2 sets of buds. Those that don’t get the regular maintenance pruning they need become leggy and overgrown. 4. The following Cornus should be pruned late March to early April here in the UK. Plants which love this sort of brutality (called coppicing) include elderberry (Sambucus sp … You should also water them well the year afterwards. Mulch in autumn with well-rotted compost or manure. Hi Mrs Easton, thank you for leaving a lovely review. Dogwood Tree Pruning Info Dogwood trees have a naturally attractive shape and don’t require routine pruning, but there are some circumstances where pruning and … As fully qualified and long term experienced Trading Standards and local authority approved tree surgeons, we can provide specialist expertise across all elements of dogwood tree pruning. In mid-spring cut back last year's shoots to one or two pairs of buds from the base. You’ll see dead blotches on leaves, and dieback of young stems. While other plants lay dormant during the winter months, Mahonia provides a … You need to prune at the right time, which is late Winter or early Spring. Plant bare-root cornus shrubs or trees in autumn to spring, in well-prepared soil. Prune during the growing season however, when the resources tend to be mostly within the leaves, and power will be lost through removing those leaves. This method will encourage more new, brightly colored stems to emerge when the plant emerges from dormancy in spring. How to grow dogwood. Barberry (Berberis) Redtwig Dogwood (Cornus) Hazel (Corylus) Smoke bush (Cotinus) I coppice or prune mine every other year and give them a good mulch afterwards. Using loppers and a pruning saw, cut back all stems to within an inch of the ground during the plant's winter dormancy. Use them in combination with yellow twig dogwoods for an even more stunning winter display. Recent case studies have shown that pruning annually in late March to mid-April (as the new growth is just beginning to develop) is preferable. Pruning your silky dogwood is vital for keeping the flowering shrub healthy and for maintaining the shape you want it to have. Make sure you choose one that can provide checkable references and who is able to present you with official certificates proving their qualifications as well as insurance documents so you know you are covered for their work. Luckily for the dogwood tree, it is not susceptible to many diseases or pests, although the horse chestnut scale insect can be an issue. Prune red dogwood bushes in late fall … If pruning a well kept Cornus a pair of secateurs is usually sufficient. Especially if it has been left untouched for years. You’ll be pleased to know that pruning Dogwood is relatively straight forward. Alway prune shrubs and trees just above a bud, if you prune below a bud then the wood will die back to the next set of buds. Required fields are marked *. Office: 01268 642814 For nice thick clump, you can plant them 3ft / 90cms apart. Dogwood is a small broadleaf shrub, typically found growing along woodland edges and in hedgerows of southern England. Prune back one-third to one-half of all the branches of your dogwood shrub with hand pruners in early spring. Mariah Mickman explains how to prune a Dogwood shrub. Dianne Oxberry ‘Sunshine Garden’ for BBC North West. If your Cornus is a tangled mess of crossing stems then it is definitely time to prune them back into some form of order. Instead, they’re in their overwintering stage. Prune back all branches of the dogwood shrub, making the pruning cuts 2 to 4 inches above the soil level. When it's leafless, you can easily see all the tree's branches, giving you a clear view of its overall shape and making late fall through winter a good time for pruning. It’s around 20 years old and has never been properly pruned! However, to allow the maximum time to enjoy colourful stems, shrubby Cornus and willows are now typically pruned from late March to mid-April, just as the new growth is developing. Every year, in late winter, you'll want to remove about a third of the old, most faded stems from your Dogwood shrub, cutting them back to the ground. Other schools of thought take out 1/3 of the older stems so they keep their height whilst encouraging some fresh bright growth. Please enable javascript in your browser in order to get form work properly. Prune at the wrong time and you’ll cause excessive stress to the plant. There are 2 main reasons to only prune during the dormant period. English Roses are naturally vigorous and, if left without pruning, may become large and leggy shrubs. A mature dogwood tree will grow to 10 metres in height. Manchester, Liverpool, Southport & Cheshire Garden Design Specialists. Crocus.co.uk 1,973 views. Prune Potentilla Shrubs. You can prune it as much as you wish, best to do it in March as plants start to grow again. Pruning Cornus from time to time to thin our congestion is the best way to ensure a healthy vibrant shrub. Be sure to never go ahead with any tree work until you are positive that there is no Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in place. The older school of thought was to do this in January but based on experience and the RHS’s revised guidance late March is better. Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa), also known as cinquefoil, is a cane shrub grown largely for its pretty, long-lasting blossoms. Trimming errant twigs or reducing the shrub size of a laurustinus should be scheduled for spring, immediately after the flowering display ends. This can take up to eight weeks to be provided. In older woodier specimens you’re going to need to find the small ridges and ‘nubbins’ as I call them. Do not defer pruning until limbs get large. After planting, leave them be and let them establish for a summer. Most deciduous shrubs that respond well to renewal pruning can also take hard pruning, as will a handful of broadleaf evergreens, such as privet. Also be aware that if the tree is located in a conservation area, permission must be gained before proceeding with works of any kind. Hard pruning is not suitable for younger dogwood trees. If the leaves are opposite which they mainly are then a clean horizontal snip is the best. Mariah Mickman explains how to prune a Dogwood shrub. These are the nodes where leaves and buds will break. Mobile: 07834349211 Dozens of smaller-growing cultivars exist. 01268 642814. Height and spread are both about 2 metres at maturity in 8 years time. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It will lead to weaker regrowth. The older school of thought was to do this in January but based on experience and the RHS’s revised guidance late March is better. It is usually best to … Plants including Buddleia davidii, potentilla, fuchsia, dogwood and wisteria can be tidied up now. Pruning is essential if you really want your rose to thrive. How to Hard Prune (coppice) Dogwoods : Hard pruning is necessary for a steady supply of bright young stems. Get a quick no obligation quote Mahonia, commonly referred to as Oregon grape, is an evergreen shrub with dark blue berries and glossy, leathery leaves. Your browser does not support JavaScript!. About T.H Tree Services®, Qualified Tree Services Company Essex. So they already have their bright colours intact. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A prune at the right time can help renovate and reinvigorate a otherwise lacklustre shrub. Inspect for pruning needs annually. They can grow into really nice thick hedges and will soon bulk up. She demonstrates how to reduce the height and rejuvenate the shrub. Therefore, the best time to prune a dogwood tree is in late fall and winter while the tree is dormant. If you prune while the tree is trying to actively grow in the spring, it is even more of a burden. Do not prune later in the season, once the tree has started its new growth, to keep the tree healthy. Cornus alba 'Baton Rouge' 3L Shrub - … Cornus alba, stolonifera and sanguinea types, should be pruned in the spring of each year for maximum stem colour effect.