Dogwood (Cornus) - sometimes also known as 'hornbush' - is by no means the same as dogwood: depending on the species, the tree grows as a shrub, small tree or even as a ground cover. Provided the plant is in a suitable location, the plant is extremely easy to care for. In addition, the dogwood not only offers practical advantages, but is also a visual highlight. Many species score points, especially in autumn, with their brightly colored bark, which brings color into the gray season.
How do you care for a dogwood?
Dogwood care includes appropriate watering depending on the species, fertilizing when needed, optional fall or spring pruning, and winter protection for container plants. Dogwoods are robust, hardy and usually resistant to diseases and pests.
Do you actually have to water dogwood?
Whether and when you should water depends, on the one hand, on the form of cultivation - i.e. whether it is a potted plant or a planted specimen - on the respective weather conditions and on the specific dogwood species. Some dogwoods are quite moisture-loving and therefore require a lot of water, while others prefer it to be dry. However, all dogwood species cannot tolerate waterlogging.
When and with what should you fertilize dogwood?
The situation is similar when it comes to fertilizing: Basically, drought-loving dogwoods require little to no additional fertilizer, while moisture-loving species have a comparatively high nutrient requirement. As a rule of thumb, dogwoods growing on acidic soils require more nutrients than the species that grow on chalky sites. But no matter what species it is: every dogwood benefits from a compost (€41.00 on Amazon) in the fall.
Can you cut dogwoods?
In principle, pruning is not necessary, but most dogwood species (except the pagoda dogwood) are very tolerant of pruning.
When is the best time to prune?
Dogwoods are best grown during the leafless period, i.e. H. be pruned in early spring or autumn.
Which dogwood can also be cultivated in a container?
Cornus florida (American flowering dogwood) and Cornus kousa (Japanese flowering dogwood) are particularly suitable for keeping in containers, although in principle every dogwood can be kept in a sufficiently large planter. However, they must either be kept small by regular pruning or planted out after a few years.
What diseases and pests can occur in dogwood?
All dogwood species are considered to be very robust and not very susceptible to diseases and pests. However, the tree can still become ill, especially if it is already weakened by incorrect care or an unsuitable location. Fungal diseases such as leaf brown and powdery mildew, as well as pests such as mealybugs and aphids, are particularly common.
Is dogwood hardy?
Dogwood is generally very hardy and can easily tolerate temperatures down to minus 20 °C.
Tip
Even though dogwood is winter hardy, specimens grown in containers require winter protection.