- Dogwood propagates from root suckers
- Cut dogwood just above the ground several times
- What Else You Can Do
The dogwood or also horn bush (botanically called Cornus) is a popular ornamental and hedge plant, which, however, tends to proliferate quickly in good location and growth conditions. The native species are considered to be quite undemanding and easy to care for - which, however, becomes a problem. as soon as you want to get rid of the stubborn growths.
Removing dogwood is not easy gardening
Dogwood propagates from root suckers
Dogwoods reproduce in many different ways, namely via cuttings, shoots, seeds and - this is the biggest problem when removing the plant from the garden - root suckers. As long as there is still enough energy stored in the roots, the dogwood will keep sprouting out. This can be as unnerving as the fact that there are always numerous seedlings in the near and far vicinity of a dogwood plantation, which are spread by birds - which in turn find the berries of the shrub very tasty.
Cut dogwood just above the ground several times
In order to permanently remove a dogwood from the garden, basically only one thing helps: you have to cut the bush several times directly above the ground and just as conscientiously pull out the recurring root shoots. However, you must not prune the dogwood for this purpose in winter, because at that time the plant still has sufficient reserves in the rootstock and will therefore come back all the more stubbornly (and vigorously). Instead, prune the bush in the warm summer months, when the plant gathers energy for the winter through its leaves and stores it in its roots. Without leaves, no reserves can accumulate in the underground parts - ergo, the dogwood is eventually too weak to sprout again.
What Else You Can Do
However, you need a lot of patience for the constant cutting and plucking, because the stubborn dogwood is not considered a pioneer plant for nothing: it tries again and again to sprout again. In order to shorten the whole process, you should not only cut off the above-ground parts of the plant, but also dig up and remove the roots as much as possible. However, these can grow several meters wide and just as deep, depending on the existing soil conditions.
tips
If you don't want to dig so much, cut the dogwood just above the ground in summer and then cover the area generously with a lightproof weed film. This remains there for a few months (if possible during the cold season) and thus prevents it from sprout again.