How to Prune a Dogwood
Remove branches during the winter or early spring., Remove deadwood., Cut off diseased or insect-infested branches., Prune away old, twiggy stems.Some dogwood varieties, particularly the shrubby types, are valued mostly for the colorful bark that...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Remove branches during the winter or early spring.
The dogwood should still be in a dormant state when you remove branches.
Sawing or otherwise removing branches during the late spring or summer, after the tree begins to actively grow, can create fresh, appealing entry spots for insects that like to bore into the wood of the tree. -
Step 2: Remove deadwood.
Wood that is dying or dead will do nothing good for your tree.
In fact, leaving it on the tree may actually cause problems.
Deadwood is more likely to grow mold or other fungi, which can then spread to healthy parts of the dogwood. , Like dead branches, diseased branches will only invite further infection to the rest of your dogwood.
When cutting off noticeably diseased branches, you should dip the shears or saw into a solution made of one part bleach and three parts water to sterilize them.
Otherwise, you may accidentally spread the disease to other parts of the tree. , You can either cut back the old stems on these dogwoods or cut them down completely.
For shrubby dogwoods, you can actually cut the dogwood down to the ground every few years to remove old stems and encourage the growth of new twigs. , If a particular section of your dogwood tree seems abnormally thick or crowded, select the weakest branches from that spot and cut them back to their point of origin. , A branch that grows beneath the grafting point will have characteristics of one of the original trees used for the hybrid, rather than the hybrid dogwood itself.
To keep the foliage and appearance of the tree consistent, you should remove these unexpected branches by sawing or pruning them off at the point of origin. , Sometimes, the lowest branches of the dogwood can interfere with walking or other gardening activities.
Other times, the branches hang so low that the underside of the tree does not receive enough air.
In either case, the lowest branches can be sawed off or cut away with heavy-duty shears. -
Step 3: Cut off diseased or insect-infested branches.
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Step 4: Prune away old
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Step 5: twiggy stems.Some dogwood varieties
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Step 6: particularly the shrubby types
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Step 7: are valued mostly for the colorful bark that grows on new stems.
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Step 8: Thin out crowded areas.
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Step 9: Remove shoots that grow below the graft point.Some hybrid or variegated dogwood varieties are created by grafting together two separate dogwood trees.
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Step 10: Determine whether or not you need to remove lower branches.
Detailed Guide
The dogwood should still be in a dormant state when you remove branches.
Sawing or otherwise removing branches during the late spring or summer, after the tree begins to actively grow, can create fresh, appealing entry spots for insects that like to bore into the wood of the tree.
Wood that is dying or dead will do nothing good for your tree.
In fact, leaving it on the tree may actually cause problems.
Deadwood is more likely to grow mold or other fungi, which can then spread to healthy parts of the dogwood. , Like dead branches, diseased branches will only invite further infection to the rest of your dogwood.
When cutting off noticeably diseased branches, you should dip the shears or saw into a solution made of one part bleach and three parts water to sterilize them.
Otherwise, you may accidentally spread the disease to other parts of the tree. , You can either cut back the old stems on these dogwoods or cut them down completely.
For shrubby dogwoods, you can actually cut the dogwood down to the ground every few years to remove old stems and encourage the growth of new twigs. , If a particular section of your dogwood tree seems abnormally thick or crowded, select the weakest branches from that spot and cut them back to their point of origin. , A branch that grows beneath the grafting point will have characteristics of one of the original trees used for the hybrid, rather than the hybrid dogwood itself.
To keep the foliage and appearance of the tree consistent, you should remove these unexpected branches by sawing or pruning them off at the point of origin. , Sometimes, the lowest branches of the dogwood can interfere with walking or other gardening activities.
Other times, the branches hang so low that the underside of the tree does not receive enough air.
In either case, the lowest branches can be sawed off or cut away with heavy-duty shears.
About the Author
Heather Cooper
With a background in sports and recreation, Heather Cooper brings 14 years of hands-on experience to every article. Heather believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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