Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Pruning dogwoods

JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
edited March 2019 in Plants
Hi all,

Ive got three larger cornus albus planted last autumn and five smaller cornus sanguinea, planted early this January.  

Should I trim any of them back?  I’ve read that you shouldn’t prune in their first year - but is that the first year since I planted or in their first year of life?



The larger ones are coming into leaf quickly too.



Cheers TP

Posts

  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    I’d leave the ones planted this year. The albus I’d trim around a third to a half of last year’s growth. Over the coming season they’ll bulk up and can be trimmed harder next year.  That’s the approach I took with mine and they’re now well established. 
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Keep an eye on them - dogwoods love to sucker and spread, and they won't necessarily stay in your garden (I assume that's next-door we can see in the photos).
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Slum said:
    I’d leave the ones planted this year. The albus I’d trim around a third to a half of last year’s growth. Over the coming season they’ll bulk up and can be trimmed harder next year.  That’s the approach I took with mine and they’re now well established. 
    Thanks, how can I tell what last year’s growth was given that I didnt have them until autumn?
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    I planted Cornus Alba Baton Rouge last spring. They sat in very wet clay soil and then baked hard in the summer. They are growing well but I have decided to leave them this year to make sure they are well established.
  • jamesharcourtjamesharcourt Posts: 465
    edited March 2019
    I have a few of a similar size which I planted last year and I'm just leaving them for this year.   Not that it's based on any advice or science, just a vibe I have to leave them :-)
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I would leave them for this year as well. They do need to get their roots well established before hard pruning. If they sprawl out a bit later in the year and get in your way, then it will be fine to cut those branches back a bit.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    Tin pot said:
    Slum said:
    I’d leave the ones planted this year. The albus I’d trim around a third to a half of last year’s growth. Over the coming season they’ll bulk up and can be trimmed harder next year.  That’s the approach I took with mine and they’re now well established. 
    Thanks, how can I tell what last year’s growth was given that I didnt have them until autumn?
    Work on the assumption it is from where they where last pruned. In effect you’re just giving them a light prune which will encourage them to fill out a bit. 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Older stems lose their bright colour. I wouldn't cut back baby plants like those, they need to get established and put down strong roots.
Sign In or Register to comment.