Here, hobby gardeners with a penchant for ornamental trees can draw from the abundance. The wonderful species of dogwood (Cornus) presents us with magnificent flowering shrubs or small trees that amaze us all year round. An enchanting spring blossom culminates in brightly colored fruit, followed by an autumn firework display of colours. The following answers to frequently asked questions cover all important aspects of cultivation.

In summer, the dogwood wears a lush dress of flowers

Plant dogwood properly

Tree nurseries mostly offer dogwoods in containers. This has the advantage that you can plant the tree at any time of the year as long as it does not freeze. A mild day in early autumn is considered the ideal date. Dig a pit three times the volume of the root ball in a sunny to partially shaded location. Add leaf compost, bark humus and horn shavings (€32.93) to the excavation. Repot a young hornet only after the root ball has been soaked in soft water. Please make sure that the end is flush with the garden floor. Water generously and mulch with leaves or bark mulch.
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care tips

There is a broad consensus within the dogwood genus with regard to the maintenance program - apart from pruning. How to do it right:

  • Keep the soil constantly slightly moist, preferably with soft water
  • Fertilize with leaf compost and horn shavings (€32.93) in August/September and when flowering begins
  • Thoroughly thin out the shrub and tree crown in late winter
  • Match the type and extent of the pruning to the cultivated species
  • Wear gloves for all maintenance work

We recommend light winter protection in the year of planting and in tub culture. Cover the soil with leaves, straw and pine branches. The young shoots receive a hood made of garden fleece. Wrap a pot with fleece, jute or bubble wrap and place it on a block of wood. Otherwise, all hornbush species are hardy, so no further precautions need to be taken.
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Which location is suitable?

Most of the various dogwood species and varieties prefer a sunny to partially shaded location. In order for you to be able to enjoy the lavish blooms in spring, the daily sun yield should be at least 4 hours. The hornbeam beauties are largely in agreement when it comes to soil conditions. The focus is on a slightly acidic to neutral pH value of 5.5 to 7.0, followed by a nutrient-rich, loamy-sandy, fresh, moist structure.
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The right planting distance

The selected species of hornbush specifies the ideal planting distance. For your orientation we have put together useful values for popular dogwoods:

  • Carpet dogwood (Cornus canadensis): 20-30 cm - 6-8 plants per square meter
  • Pied dogwood (Cornus alba): 100-120 cm
  • Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis): 300-400 cm

Cultivated as a hedge, an arrangement of 1 plant per meter has proven itself in practice for the dogwood suitable for this purpose. Also, match the precise distance to the planned amount of pruning.

What soil does the plant need?

In this question, the Hornstrauch species agree. A slightly acidic to neutral soil is the most important premise for vital, flowering growth. In addition, the soil should be rich in nutrients, humus-loose, loamy-sandy and fresh-moist. Good water drainage is indispensable, because waterlogging will reliably kill every dogwood.

When is flowering time?

The lavish abundance of flowers takes our breath away every year from April to June. On the still leafless branches, furious inflorescences in the form of panicles or umbels unfold, exuding an intoxicating scent. The color spectrum ranges from elegant white to enchanting red nuances to bright yellow, on black, fiery red, deep brown or green shoots.
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Cut dogwood properly

Some of the finest dogwoods grow very slowly, naturally developing a harmonious silhouette that requires no pruning. Magnificent specimens such as the flower dogwood (Cornus florida) are nevertheless thoroughly thinned out after flowering. Remove any deadwood at the base and rubbing or inward branches. In contrast, fast-growing species such as Cornus alba Sibirica only achieve their optimum if all shoots are shortened to 30 cm during the leafless winter period. Trim compact ornamental shrubs for small gardens and pots, such as the red dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), after flowering and carefully thin out the bush.
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Water dogwood

Water a hornbush in the bed and bucket whenever the surface of the soil has dried. The perfect water balance is based on constant soil moisture with intermittent drying phases. Drought stress and waterlogging have an equally harmful effect, up to and including the death of the tree. It is an advantage if you mainly use soft irrigation water to accommodate the desire for a slightly acidic soil.

Fertilize dogwood properly

If the hornbush thrives in the bed, it gratefully accepts a portion of leaf compost with horn shavings in autumn. At the beginning of the flowering period, the wood gets a second helping to give the floral splendor even more impetus. Spoil the ornamental tree in the tub with a liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks from March to August.

Diseases

In recent years, a life-threatening plant disease called anthracnose has been rampant among the most beautiful species of hornbush, the flower dogwood. Specifically, it is a stubborn vascular fungus that spreads in the veins of plants. As a symptom, individual leaves wilt at first. As the process progresses, all of the foliage dies off and the shrub is deprived of its livelihood. Immediately cut off all affected shoots and also dispose of the fallen leaves. You can prevent drought stress by watering and mulching regularly. Injuries to the root disk and the base of the trunk must not occur so that the cunning fungal spores cannot gain access to the plant.
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hibernate

An adult hornbush is fully hardy. However, we only recommend light winter protection in the year of planting and in pot culture. Cover the root disc with a thick layer of foliage or bark mulch. The still tender twigs are covered with a hood made of breathable material. Give buckets a winter coat made of bubble wrap, fleece or jute ribbons and slide a block of wood underneath.

Propagate Dogwood

You can propagate the vast majority of dogwoods on your own. You can either cut top cuttings in April/May, plant lowers in summer or use sticks in autumn to root them in the pot. Who does not shy away from the gardening challenge, removes the cold-germinating seeds from the fruits for sowing. A long line of patience is required, because a seedling propagated hornbush flowers for the first time after 3-5 years at the earliest. The grafted flower dogwoods are an exception. Their propagation belongs in the expert hands of the master gardener.
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How do I plant correctly?

Transplanting the hornbush does not cause any problems within the first 5 years. The best time to relocate is early spring and fall. It is important to note that you maintain the previous planting depth as precisely as possible and water abundantly and regularly in the following weeks. You shouldn't put this strain on an older dogwood, as rooting in the new place cannot be guaranteed.
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Dogwood in pot

At least for a few years, the horn bush will be in the limelight in large pots on the balcony and terrace. Choose a vessel with a minimum volume of 20-30 liters. As a substrate, we recommend a mix of potting soil, leaf compost, horn shavings and lava granules (€13.99) or perlite. A water-bearing layer of inorganic material prevents harmful waterlogging on the bottom of the pot. Please keep in mind that there is regularly a higher watering requirement in the bucket than in the garden soil. Therefore, check every 1-2 days whether the substrate has dried in order to water in time. From March to August, give a liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks. Before the first frost, the substrate gets a thick layer of foliage. Also wrap the pot in bubble wrap to keep the root ball from freezing.

Is dogwood poisonous?

Almost all members of the broad dogwood genus should be treated with caution. Toxic substances can be found in the leaves and flowers as well as in the fruit. In addition, the foliage and berries are often covered in tiny hairs that can cause skin allergies on contact. However, there are exceptions, such as the cornel (Cornus mas), which gives us small, edible cherries in autumn. Therefore, when purchasing from the nursery, ask precisely if you are looking for a hornbush for the family garden. As a precaution, we recommend that you wear protective gloves for all planting and care work.
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Beautiful varieties

  • Elegantissima: Magnificent horny shrub with yellow-white variegated leaves, white flowers and red winter shoots; 2-3 m
  • Flaviramea: A yellowwood dogwood growing with yellow branches, white flowers, white fruits and bushy habit: 3-5 m
  • Japanese Cornus: Scores with bright yellow flowers, gorgeous fall foliage, and edible fruit; 5-7 m
  • Kreuzdame: Premium hornbush with cruciform, 9 cm, creamy white flowers from May to June; 2-3 m
  • Milky Way: Chinese dogwood with profuse spring flowering and slightly overhanging branches; 3-3.5m
  • Cherokee Chief: Flowering Hornbush Cornus florida, which delights us with huge, pink cupped flowers; 4-6 m
  • Pluribracteata: Picturesque ornamental tree, extremely robust, evergreen and with double white flowers; 4-6 m
  • Midwinter Fire: Impresses with a winter firework of colors with red and yellow leaves on the red wood; 2-2.5m
  • Variegata: Pagoda hornbush, which impresses with tiered growth, variegated white leaves that turn red in autumn; 4-6 m
  • Carpet Dogwood: Flowery ground cover with white cup flowers and spherical, red fruits; 10-20cm

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Trees