I live in Manhattan, NY. and I have just planted two 7-foot dogwoods (Kousa) in large, thick concrete planters. I amended the soil and placed 3 inches of mulch over the top. The root ball of these trees was burlapped and quite small once all the clay fell away. I soaked them after planting. Do I need to water them over the winter season even if they are dormant?
Typically, you should treat a plant in a pot as though it is one zone lower than the one you live in. Many dogwoods are hardy to zone 3 or 4, depending on the variety. As for watering, most trees, like dogwoods, are dormant during cold winters so they will need less water. Don't leave them dry for weeks at a time, but do not let them sit in wet soil, or the roots will rot.
I have two dogwood trees planted on the northside of my house. Both appear healthy, with good foliage and are about five years old. They flowered their first year only. What do I need to do to get them to flower again?
Based on the comment that they have healthy foliage, I suspect that they have too much nitrogen in the soil. This happens if they are planted too close to a lawn that is fertilized regularly. Have the soil tested and increase the amount of phosphorous the trees are getting. This article has more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/dogwood/dogwood-tree-not-flowering.htm
Can you grow Red Twig dogwoods in Zones 7-8? And like other dogwoods, can they be planted under an overhead canopy? I have a row of pine trees along a drainage ditch. I have two regular dogwoods among the pines, and bought a Red Twig dogwood to add some additional color, but it pretty much died in 6 months and was totally dead in a year. The ditch does not hold water and I tried to just let it grow naturally like the regular dogwoods. Should I have watered it more often?
Red Twig dogwoods should be fine in zones 7 and 8. It does sound like it died from transplant shock. Newly planted trees should be given extra water for at least 6 months, if you plant them in the spring (which is the best time to plants them. This helps to encourage them to grow new roots and establish well in the new spot. These articles will help for the future:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/watering-newly-planted-tree.htm
Thanks Heather.
I have two trees in front of my house, which faces east. The one tree is a variegated dogwood that is about 10 feet away from the house and approximately 20 feet tall. The other is unknown to me, is about 30 to 40 feet tall, and 25 to 30 feet from the house. It is constantly losing small twigs (very light in weight) and may be diseased as it is split at a 'V' in the tree. Which of these trees may leave pin-sized dots of sap on the house and cars? We live in northeast Ohio.
Probably the one that is looking diseased. It is likely not sap but rather honeydew from insects attacking the plant. This is commonly mistaken for sap and pests will attack a diseased tree.
We just planted two dogwood trees. It may frost tonight. Do we need to cover the trees? They are young with no buds or blooms.
They should be fine. If you are feeling nervous about it, it will not hurt to cover them with a sheet (not plastic), but really they should be fine without it.
My sister noticed that her dogwood tree is dripping something like water from one limb. She said the ground has been very wet underneath where it dripped for several days and if she stands under it, some drops fall on her. Is this sap? She said it is like water. It only does it from one limb and the limb doesn't appear to have been injured. She has lived there a very long time.
It is most likely sap and dogwoods tend to sap when they are stressed. What is causing it can be one of several things. It can be everything from the fact that the tree may be getting old (dogwoods typically only live 10-15 years) to a pest of some kind. I would check the tree carefully for pests, particularly in the junctions were branches meet. Also, make sure to give it some fertilizer, to help keep its health up.
We have a patio in back with a square brick garden in the middle (5x5). There is a dogwood in the middle and white azaleas around it, maybe 4-5. The dogwood has died, probably drought, it is about 15 feet high. Should we just cut it down and then grind the trunk or wait till after the azaleas bloom and then redo the whole brick garden? Any suggestions on the best way to do this without disturbing the whole patio garden?
If you enjoy the flowers from the azaleas, you can wait until they are finished blooming. In my own yard, when a dogwood tree died, I simply planted a climbing vine at the base and it now serves as a trellis for the vine. You can remove it as well, without too many issues, though the grinding may disturb the azaleas around it (depending how close they are), but not so much that it will kill them.