Pruning Dogwood

tombrown

I planted a patch of about 50 stems of bare root dogwood this winter, and am happy to say they are all growing well (all have sprouted healthy green leaves).



Having had dogwood overrun an area of a garden in a previous life I want to ensure I keep these ones nicely under control. I plan to follow an idea I read of cutting a third of them to ground level each spring, cycling round them all on a 3 year cycle.


But - should I start doing this in 3 years time, so the first ones I cut have 3 years growth, but the last cycle has 5 years, or in one years time (first = 1 year, last - 3 years)?

macraignil

tombrown wrote: »

I planted a patch of about 50 stems of bare root dogwood this winter, and am happy to say they are all growing well (all have sprouted healthy green leaves).



Having had dogwood overrun an area of a garden in a previous life I want to ensure I keep these ones nicely under control. I plan to follow an idea I read of cutting a third of them to ground level each spring, cycling round them all on a 3 year cycle.


But - should I start doing this in 3 years time, so the first ones I cut have 3 years growth, but the last cycle has 5 years, or in one years time (first = 1 year, last - 3 years)?

There are more than one type of dogwood plant that can be grown in the garden but if it's the type grown for stem colour in the winter I have read you are better off letting them settle in for a couple of years before starting to coppice them for the better stem colour on the new formed shoots in later years. They would regenerate better once a stronger root system was established so I would be reluctant to cut them down after just one year growing where you have planted them.

tombrown

Great - thanks

These are red twig dogwood (cornus alba); so I will follow your advice & leave them a few years