Dogwood Tree Care And Maintenance

Dogwood trees do require some special care to help them thrive as they are fragile and susceptible to mechanical injuries and several insect and disease conditions.

Dogwood tree care and maintenance. Kousa is grown for its flowers in addition to its hardy dependable nature. Disease and pests aphids and powdery mildew can be a problem but a fungicidal application and horticultural oils in spring can help prevent insects and diseases. Kousa dogwood is easy to grow and requires little maintenance. Container grown trees can be transplanted anytime of the year provided they are watered regularly after planting.

It blooms around late spring and early summer. The cornus kousa korean dogwood or just kousa tree is more resistant to diseases that plague other dogwoods it thrives in zones 5 9. The following steps will tell you how to grow kousa dogwood in your garden. The soil quality shouldn t be too sandy nor should it be heavy clay.

During summer months and dry spells it is important for the tree to get shade in the afternoons to thrive. A dogwood tree planted in clay soil will eventually rot and die as it will hold water for too long. Planting and transplanting the flowering dogwood dogwoods grown in containers can be planted or transplanted any time of the year with regular watering while bare root or burlap dogwood trees should only be transplanted in the late fall or early spring when it s less likely that you ll lose them to a sudden frost. It is sometimes referred to as the chinese dogwood.

Before planting select a location that receives full sunlight to partial shade. You can test the ph of your soil easily with a kit purchased at the nursery or online. Dogwoods need slightly acidic well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. The best time to prune is in the late fall or winter while the tree is dormant.

Planting dogwood care bare root and burlap dogwood trees should be transplanted in late fall or early spring. Give larger well established kousas 1 cup of fertilizer for each 1 inch of trunk diameter measured 4 feet above the soil line. Kousa is native to japan china korea and taiwan. Dogwood trees need well drained humus soil that is ideally slightly acidic.

Excessive fertilizing can kill a young dogwood tree. A dogwood should be planted about two thirds the depth of its root ball. Dogwood trees have a naturally attractive rounded shape so they require little pruning unless needed for aesthetic reasons or to improve their vigor.