Avoiding Common Tree Mistakes

Planted Some Dogwood Trees? How To Care For Them To Keep Them Healthy

22 March 2016 by Chiara Brun

If you drive around in the spring, you will likely see many dogwood trees around your neighborhood in full color. One common dogwood you will likely see is the Cornus florida, but there are many species. Dogwood trees have white, red, rose, or pink flowers.  Along with the colorful flowers, you can find dogwood trees that have colorful bark, such as orange, red, or yellow. Depending on the species, these trees will showcase blooms starting in the spring and up through the middle of summer. They can grow anywhere from 15 to 30 feet tall. Below is information on how to properly care for this tree.

Insects and Diseases

Unfortunately, dogwoods are susceptible to insects and diseases, as well as injuries to the bark. For this reason, they require your special care to stay beautiful. Some of these diseases include:

• Anthracnose: This disease causes large purple leaf spots. If not treated, these spots will turn a tan color. This disease is deadly to the dogwood, so get it treated immediately if you see any of these signs.
• Septoria Leafspot: You will most likely see this infection mid-summer. You will see small purple spots on the leaves.
• Basal trunk canker: If your dogwood has a canker disease, you will see dead spots on the main trunk area. You will know a dead spot if the bark easily falls off. Over time, this infection will move inside the trunk of the tree removing important nutrients.

Fertilizer

Provide them with the proper fertilizer to keep them healthy. Ask a representative at a garden center which type of fertilizer to use for your specific species of tree. The healthier the dogwoods are, the better they can fight off diseases. Follow the instructions on the packaging on how to properly apply the fertilizer to your trees.

Prune

You should hire a tree service to prune your dogwoods. This can improve their life span, and improve the structure. The tree service will remove any dead, diseased or broken branches. If the trees are very large and full, the tree service may remove some live branches to increase the amount of sunlight that gets to each tree.

Compost and Mulch

Add approximately three inches of compost under each dogwood in the spring after the last frost. You can find compost at any garden center. Spread the compost out away from the trees until it reaches the outermost branches. Put two or three inches of mulch over the compost to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Make sure you pull the mulch a few inches away from the trunk of the tree, as you do not want to smother it.  

Call a tree service immediately if you notice any diseases. The sooner you start caring for the trees, the better chance they will survive. Contact a business, such as Arborist Services LLC, for more information.   

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