pruning dogwood

[boxtops]

I've got a neglected dogwood bush in my garden with lovely red new stems. I believe I can encourage new red stems if I prune it back hard. Can anyone advise when in the year I should do this, please?

[SlackAlice]

Hi
You need to prune it early spring too encourage new growth. The new stems will form the next winters display for which the dogwood is well known.

I trim mine down to about 6" every spring once the 'frosts' have stopped.

[boxtops]

Thanks SlackAlice, much appreciated!

[carlton23]

HTH`s
http://www.theanswerb...g/Question846556.html

[carlton23]

http://www.theanswerb...g/Question846556.html

Hope this link works this time

[carlton23]

Oh, darn it, `Try Pruning Dogwoods` in your google search engine. Sorry about the links, dunno what`s happened!!!!

[boxtops]

thanks Carlton23 - not sure what the purpose of the link is, but when I click on it it just comes back to your QA page. Yes I have done that - it basically says the same as Slack Alice - I thought I would ask the knowledgeable people at AB as well as doing a bit of standard research! Thanks for your help, happy new year!

[carlton23]

I know we give some good tips occasionally, but the experts on Google etc give a full explanation to most problems, if only most people would use it instead of using AB`s to do all the work for them. A Very Happy New Year to you and yours also.

[SlackAlice]

It was quicker for me to type it rather than 'google' it, find the right link and then paste the url.

[Hcaterpillar]

If you prune in spring, you get to keep the red stems through the winter, when there's little color in the garden and the dogwood has all year to grow some new ones.
Just prune them back to the same stump each year.

[AlBags]

One third of oldest growth every one to two years. Works for most shrubs!