In winter, its twigs will delight you with their bright red bark, which add a cheerful dash of color to the garden in the middle of the dark season. White dogwood owes its popularity as an ornamental tree explicitly to this spectacular property. However, the colors fade over time. With the right cut, you ensure that the spectacle is repeated every year. Read how it works here.

White dogwood is best pruned in winter

The best time to cut is in winter

Since pruning any shrub is a tiring affair, experienced gardeners prefer to use pruning shears in the middle of winter. Since the white dogwood is in its juice dormancy at this time, the stress can be reduced to a minimum thanks to this choice of date. If the Cornus alba is in full bloom at the time of pruning or is wearing its foliage, there is a risk of it bleeding out completely.

The younger the shoot, the brighter the red bark - tips for cutting

As a white dogwood loses the red winter coloring of its branches over the years, pruning is aimed at permanent rejuvenation. How to cut the flowering shrub correctly:

  • In the first step, thin out the entire bush by cutting off deadwood at the base
  • Shorten one- and two-year-old shoots by at least half
  • Cut off older branches by two thirds or remove them completely

If the focus is only on maintaining the red winter decorations, you can put a Cornus alba on the stick every late winter. If, on the other hand, you are aiming for a certain growth height, adjust the extent of the pruning to the annual growth of 50 centimeters on average.

Consistently remove bottom shoots

A white dogwood does not form aggressive runners. Nevertheless, gardeners often struggle with its urge to spread. This is due to low-lying branches that are rooted in the ground. So, whenever you prune, be on the lookout for those camouflaged stolons to cut off at the base.

tips

There's more to white dogwood than red winter twigs. In a sunny location with nutrient-rich, humus-rich and slightly acidic soil, the ornamental shrub boasts creamy-white flowers from May to July, followed by white or light-blue fruit balls. In autumn the foliage turns a beautiful yellow-orange color before shedding to reveal the red bark.

Category:

Trees