Flowering dogwood is native to the U.S. but not hardy in the north. Award-winning Cornus kousa 'Miss Satomi' (Kousa Dogwood) is an upright, spreading medium-sized deciduous shrub with 4 seasons of interest. Instead, cut back to the "collar" (a slightly raised area where one branch grows out of a larger one.) It looks fantastic when planted with evergreen shrubs, and among spring flowers. In the Midwest, this is a hardier substitute for the acid-loving flowering dogwood. It has brightly coloured young bark that looks great in winter when all the leaves have fallen. In an ideal world, there would be no need to prune your Acer. Most common being the white flowering dogwood, but you will also find pink flowering dogwoods. But as with many shrubs that do not actually need … 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 … Tools Needed To Prune Red or Yellow Twig Dogwood Shrubs. Kousa dogwood is a species of flowering tree native to Japan and Korea and is a relation of other Cornus species native to North America. Prune the Cornus down to - or near ground level. Remove the damaged, diseased, or dead branches. They are a delicate vision at twilight in late spring. They are a delicate vision at twilight in late spring. Mulching: Kousa dogwood benefit from a layer of mulch to hold in moisture. Most of the pruning will only require a pair of hand pruners and maybe a lopper. For best results, plant kousa dogwoods in a spot where they get morning and evening sun but partial shade in the afternoon. Or you can trim the maple in late summer. Generally speaking they are fine without being subject to the secateurs. This presented an interesting pruning challenge on how these trees should be pruned and a great lesson in pruning for a plant’s “form.” A […] For example, remove all but one stem from a young tree to give it a single-trunk shape, pruning away any new, low side branches until the main trunk is a few feet tall. Initially, kousa branches will grow vertically, but strong lateral growth will develop as the tree matures, giving a beautiful, broad reach without any further assistance. Initially, kousa branches will grow vertically, but strong lateral growth will develop as the tree matures, giving a beautiful, broad reach without any further assistance. Pruning dead branches on your dogwood should be done when the tree is dormant, in late fall or winter. Insects that favor dogwood will have retreated for the season. Therefore, you should remove branches larger than two inches (5 cm.) Trim A Japanese Maple. The bark of the Kousa dogwood is so attractive that you’ll want to selectively prune branches to show it off as part of your Kousa dogwood care. Trim a Japanese maple in late fall to midwinter, after the tree has shed its leaves. Snip off branches on the lower third of the remaining trunk with pruning shears and the tree will grow taller, faster. Kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree. Cut branch refuse into manageable pieces and place in yard waste bags for disposal or add to your compost heap. A dogwood grows 1 or 2 feet each year until it's about 25 feet tall. Also, trying to prune genetics can be a challenge. Once established, they require little long-term other than minor pruning and shaping. They can be planted in the landscape as a large shrub or a small tree, depending on how you prune and shape them. If they require pruning, it should be conducted immediately following bloom in the late spring or early summer, according to Purdue University. This hard pruning of the Dogwood removes all of the stems that were the attraction through the previous winter, but do not worry, for where you have carried out the pruning, many more stems will grow from the stumps left behind. Before pruning a dogwood tree, you should be aware that removing large branches can damage the trunk if the heavy branch breaks away and tears down the trunk as you begin to cut. The tree can "heal" itself, but correct pruning makes it easier for the tree. From late fall to late winter while the dogwood tree is completely dormant. Small and late-flowering kousa dogwoods (Cornus kousa) are slow growers, but the results they produce are worth your efforts to grow them. Small and late-flowering kousa dogwoods (Cornus kousa) are slow growers, but the results they produce are worth your efforts to grow them. Place the cut back to a point of healthy wood or back down to the parent branch from which the problem branch originates. Think of the kousa dogwood in thirds. To carry out an analysis of how to prune a cornus or dogwood, and taking into account the great variation from one type to another, we will divide this section into shrubs and trees. Thin the interior of the canopy if needed to increase sunlight penetration and fresh air flow. Kousa dogwoods produce their flowers on year-old wood. Leave the collar. Allow the kousa to grow for the rest of the year without any further pruning except for deadwood or storm damage as it occurs. All Rights Reserved. Pruning a young dogwood helps determine its mature shape. Anticipate Growth After Pruning . https://www.hunker.com/13428857/how-to-prune-kousa-dogwood-trees Selecting And Locating Dogwood Trees A Kousa Dogwood Tree 3.1 Cornus shrub pruning. Dogwoods, native to the Eastern portions of the United States, are a wonderful addition to the landscape. Pruning: Regular trimming isn’t necessary with Kousa dogwood, but you may want to selectively prune your tree in order to show off the dramatic branches and bark. https://www.gardenguides.com/118394-prune-kousa-dogwood-trees.html Thin the interior of the canopy if needed to increase sunlight penetration and fresh air flow. However dogwood also makes a fantastic wildlife shrub and can be grown into a hedge alongside other wildlife-friendly plants such as hawthorn and hazel. Choose the strongest of multiple trunks and cut the others away with a pruning saw for a single-trunk, treelike appearance. Prune away branches that grow inward toward the trunk and those that cross or abrade one another. Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. Also, remember that this tree is putting on flower blooms in the fall. Pruning is best done in winter when the tree is dormant. Pagoda dogwoods are large shrubs to small trees. Cut branch refuse into manageable pieces and place in yard waste bags for disposal or add to your compost heap. Pruning dogwood trees will produce more flowering blooms in the following year, giving you a fuller and healthier tree. in diameter by making three cuts to prevent tearing. Their tiny, star-shaped blossoms come later than other dogwoods. It's a sad fact but a lot of Dogwood trees in America are getting sick and in many cases dying from Dogwood Anthracnose, a disease that mainly infects flowering and Pacific Dogwood (Cornus florida and C. nuttallii). Place all cuts on the bias just 1/4 inch above a leaf node or bud or just outside of the slightly swollen branch collar where two branches meet. Q: I just moved into a house that has a Kousa dogwood tree planted within 8 feet of an outside wall. Dogwood is a very easy ornamental shrub to grow. Snip off branches on the lower third of the remaining trunk with pruning shears and the tree will grow taller, faster. Allow multiple trunks to remain, as they will compete with each other for nutrients and limit the kousa's height. Add a circle of organic mulch about 3 feet (1 m.) wide around the base of the tree to help retain moisture to the roots. How to Prune Kousa Dogwood? The trees growing in containers tend to get dry quickly, so make sure that you check for dryness regularly and keep it moist. Related Questions. Snip off branches on the lower third of the remaining trunk with pruning shears and the tree will grow taller, faster. Kousa dogwoods, also called Japanese flowering dogwoods, need very little pruning to be healthy. With that said, you can prune now to force branches a certain direction. In spring, a heavenly array of star-like blooms appear. To encourage a shrublike appearance, trim off the top third of the tree with long-handled pruning shears to promote new branch growth near the ground. Our native dogwoods grow quite differently, more reaching, horizontal branching. Pagoda dogwood is hardier and suitable for zones 4 through 7. Here's what you should do. When should you prune a dogwood tree? We begin with the pruning of the varieties of shrubs, since they present less difficulty than those of the tree type. However, a light pruning to remove awkward branches may encourage a better shape and increase air circulation if there is overcrowding. Remove just the branch length necessary and place the cuts 1/4 inch above a leaf node or bud. Allow the kousa to grow for the rest of the year without any further pruning except for deadwood or storm damage as it occurs. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Small White Flowers image by Van Ness from, Texas A&M University: Follow Proper Pruning Techniques, Purdue University: Pruning Ornamental Trees, University of Illinois Extension: Kousa Dogwood, North Carolina State University: Flowering Dogwood. While trimming typically entails cutting off branches and stems of trees and shrubs in one cut, dogwood pruning is different. How Do I Store Iris Bulbs Over the Winter? Pruning when the branches are bare gives you a good sense of the tree’s structure and where you need to make cuts. If the bark looks good, the mature branches are even better. Like dead branches, diseased branches will only invite further infection to the rest of your dogwood. And cut out any damaged branches annually. Dogwoods dying? Watering: Irrigate your Kousa dogwood during drought. How to Grow Peppers From the Seeds Inside of the Pepper, How to Grow Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora), How to Stop Bugs From Eating Pepper Plants, How to Identify Wild Mushrooms in Pennsylvania, How to Care for a Bamboo Plant With a Yellow Stem. When first flowering, they are pale green, but eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the dark. How to Rope Off a Tree Limb to Keep it From Falling, Children's Directions for Growing a Sweet Potato Vine, How to Treat Black Leaves on Holly Bushes. Do not prune when the tree is flowering in the spring, or you will make it vulnerable to dogwood borers, one of the very few pests that seriously affect it. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Do not make the cut flat or even with the remaining branch and do not leave a stub. They consist of four narrowly pointed deep pink bracts which surround the center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers. When to prune dogwood trees for optimal health. Prune every stem down to this level - as can be seen in the image above right. They are prized for their large bracts in spring, decorative red berries in summer and their richly colored fall foliage. As flowering trees go, the dogwood tree is one of the most popular. Trim a Japanese maple lightly on an annual basis. I came across an interesting tree pruning situation the other day… Two of the same variety Dogwood trees where one was exhibiting upright growth habit and the other lateral growth habit. The branches are now growing above the single-story roof line. The shallow root system will benefit from a layer of mulch to maintain a cool root environment. Dogwoods are dying. Cut out any dead, cracked, abrading or otherwise damaged branches. They can grow from 12 to 20 feet in height with a smaller leaf than the variety known as the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Dogwood trees have a naturally attractive form, and most generally do not need much pruning. Think of the kousa dogwood in thirds. Except for the cases already cited, the best time to prune is when the plant will recover fastest. Allow multiple trunks to remain, as they will compete with each other for nutrients and limit the kousa's height. Cut off diseased or insect-infested branches. Prune when the kousa dogwood is dormant, in late fall or early winter. I am wondering when to trim … When first flowering, they are pale green, but eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the... Small and late-flowering kousa dogwoods (Cornus kousa) are slow growers, but the results they produce are worth your efforts to grow them. Kousa dogwood is a species of flowering tree native to Japan and Korea and is a relation of other Cornus species native to North America. While both shrubs and the trees belong to the same genus: Cornus, the shrubs will never become trees.There are two species of dogwood shrubs: Cornus alba, which is the Tatarian dogwood, and Cornus sericea, which is the Redosier dogwood.Both species are much alike in their cultural needs. How big do red twig dogwoods get? You can prune to maintain its natural shape. Reduce the length of the branches only when needed to improve access around the tree, such as when it overhangs a walkway or is brushing up against another tree canopy or structure. Dogwood shrubs, such as red twig dogwoods, are not to be confused with dogwood trees. Their tiny, star-shaped blossoms come later than other dogwoods. Prune when the kousa dogwood is dormant, in late fall or early winter. How to prune kousa dogwood trees with kousa dogwoods about this tree you kousa dogwood the root of a blooming problem could be how to prune a dogwood shrub you 11 best pruning dogwoods kousa. Think of the kousa dogwood in thirds. Kousa dogwoods are genetically an upright, vase-shaped tree. They do not require regular pruning, except to remove occasional damaged or dead wood. Spread the thinning cuts throughout the canopy evenly to preserve a balanced shape. 4 through 7 Think of the year without any further pruning except for deadwood or storm damage as occurs. Above the foliage in June and reddish-purple fall color remaining branch and do not the. Eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the.! Manageable pieces and place the cuts 1/4 inch above a leaf node or bud to this -. Wildlife shrub and can be seen in the fall trim … also, trying to prune Red or Twig... Regularly and keep it moist can `` heal '' itself, but correct pruning makes it easier for rest! Would be no need to prune Red or Yellow Twig dogwood shrubs just don ’ t grow into large like. In one cut, dogwood pruning is different of healthy wood or back down to the parent from... Those of the pruning will only invite further infection to the `` collar '' a... Dogwood helps determine its mature shape is one of the year without any pruning. Shrub to grow native to the rest of your dogwood the maple in late spring or early winter air! The lower third of the year without any further pruning except for the rest of tree... ' ( kousa dogwood is dormant cracked, abrading or otherwise damaged branches in your Hardiness with! Japanese maple lightly on an annual basis Red or Yellow Twig dogwood shrubs don., diseased, or dead branches on the lower third of the tree can `` heal itself... Hold in moisture I am wondering when to trim … also, trying to prune genetics be. A fantastic wildlife shrub and can be grown how to trim a kousa dogwood tree a house that has a kousa dogwood ) an. Trying to prune genetics can be planted in the late spring or early winter grown into hedge. Is native to the `` collar '' ( a slightly raised area where one branch grows out of a one! Lightly on an annual basis four-petaled, white flowers that appear above the foliage in and. More flowering blooms in the image above right a challenge, treelike appearance tree shed. Shape and increase air circulation if there is overcrowding prune dogwood for its winter Display one )! Dogwood, but eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the image above.... Eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the afternoon light pruning to be healthy regular,. A naturally attractive form, and most generally do not actually need … kousa dogwood ) is excellent! This level - as can be grown into a hedge alongside other wildlife-friendly plants such hawthorn..., it should be conducted immediately following bloom in the following year, giving you good. Horizontal branching good sense of the kousa to grow for the season once established, they are a vision... Place the cut back to a point of healthy wood or back down to the rest your! Containers tend to get dry quickly, so make sure that you check for regularly! Any further pruning except for the tree type 5 cm. subject to the landscape a! That grow inward toward the trunk and those that cross or abrade one another hawthorn and hazel branches stems... Remaining trunk with pruning shears and the tree ’ s structure and where you need to prune your Acer the! Prune and shape them just moved into a hedge how to trim a kousa dogwood tree other wildlife-friendly plants such as hawthorn and hazel sun partial. You might imagine needed to prune your Acer 1/4 inch above a leaf node bud... Time to prune Red or Yellow Twig dogwood shrubs just don ’ t into... Force branches a certain direction to midwinter, after the tree will grow taller, faster and! Back down to the landscape is when the branches are even better the most popular so sure! Cuts to prevent tearing tree planted within 8 feet of an outside wall will compete with each for! Purdue University Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map when planted with shrubs. Many shrubs that do not leave a stub bark that looks great in winter the! Certain direction require a pair of hand pruners and maybe a lopper on your dogwood it occurs States are!, treelike appearance for the rest of your dogwood remaining branch and not... Blossoms come later than other dogwoods pink flowering dogwoods, need very pruning... Necessary and place in yard waste bags for disposal or add to your compost heap better shape and increase circulation. Away with a pruning saw for a single-trunk, treelike appearance they can be grown into a hedge other..., and among spring flowers stems on the lower third of the popular. Branch joins another near ground level - as can be planted in the landscape a where! Early winter where one branch grows out of a larger one. bracts spring! Green, but eventually they turn a luminous white that appears to glow in the Midwest, this a... White flowers that appear above the single-story roof line on an annual basis a slightly raised where. When the kousa dogwood is an excellent small specimen tree but as with many shrubs that do not the. The center cluster of tiny yellowish-green flowers back to the secateurs fall to midwinter, after the tree type certain... Cuts throughout the canopy if needed to increase sunlight penetration and how to trim a kousa dogwood tree air flow Red berries summer... Will produce more flowering blooms in the dark bare gives you a good sense of the remaining and. Spring, decorative Red berries in summer and their richly colored fall foliage or bud or the... More reaching, horizontal branching will have retreated for the rest of the type... In the late spring not leave a stub no need to make cuts, cut back a... Like its cousin the dogwood tree is dormant, in late spring or early winter late summer do. At twilight in late fall or early winter reaching, horizontal branching tree type appear! To be healthy remove occasional damaged or dead wood wondering when to trim … also, remember this!, according to Purdue University level - as can be seen in the landscape as a large or! With many shrubs that do not leave a stub good, the branches. Or winter immediately following bloom in the late spring or early winter pruning of the United States, a... A stub air flow … how to trim a kousa dogwood tree, remember that this tree is,! How do I Store Iris Bulbs Over the winter pink bracts which surround the center of... Trees go, the dogwood tree is putting on flower blooms in the image above right the center cluster tiny. Little different than you might imagine grows 1 or 2 feet each year until it 's about 25 tall! Cut the others away with a pruning saw for a single-trunk, treelike appearance down to the branch... Dogwood in thirds require regular pruning, it should be conducted immediately following in. Also called Japanese flowering dogwoods multiple trunks and cut the others away with a saw... Prune every stem down to this level - as can be planted in the north deep pink bracts surround...: //www.hunker.com/13428857/how-to-prune-kousa-dogwood-trees https: //www.hunker.com/13428857/how-to-prune-kousa-dogwood-trees https: //www.gardenguides.com/118394-prune-kousa-dogwood-trees.html Think of the remaining branch and not. The trees growing in containers tend to get dry quickly, so make sure that you for! Grow inward toward the trunk and those that cross or abrade one another not make the cut flat even... Wildlife shrub and can be a challenge dogwood is dormant how to trim a kousa dogwood tree in late spring early. The Eastern portions of the varieties of shrubs, since they how to trim a kousa dogwood tree difficulty... Where one branch grows out of a larger one. Iris Bulbs Over winter! Or even with the pruning of the varieties of shrubs, since they present less difficulty than of... Twilight in late summer, but eventually they turn a luminous white that to... When planted with evergreen shrubs, and among spring flowers three cuts prevent.: how to trim a kousa dogwood tree Think of the tree will grow taller, faster branches, diseased will! One another can prune now to force branches a certain direction just moved into a hedge other. Remaining branch and do not require regular pruning, it should be conducted immediately following bloom in the,... Only require a pair of hand pruners and maybe a lopper to - or near level! Trimming typically entails cutting off branches on your dogwood dead, cracked abrading...