Red Branch Dogwood: How to Perform Rejuvenation Pruning
Although Cornus sericea, a red twig dogwood shrub, has stunning winter color, it grows quickly and can easily get out of control. Continue reading to find out how to trim dogwood bushes with red twigs that have outgrown their container.
Pruning A Dogwood Shrub With Overgrown Red Twigs
Shrubs that have been neglected or overgrown can be trimmed back using rejuvenation pruning. The red twig dogwood shrub is one plant that takes well to this kind of pruning. When these bushes are neglected, it’s simple to tell because their brilliant red stems turn gray and woodsy. That vivid shade that enlivens the winter landscape is only found in young, new growth.
Appropriate timing is essential for effective pruning. Summer-blooming shrubs, such as dogwoods with red twigs, should be clipped in late winter or early spring before the buds open.
Anytime after the Super Bowl but before St. Patrick’s Day is a good time to prune red twig dogwood bushes. Naturally, bloom times vary with location, so before making any cuts, make sure you are in your growing zone.
Other shrubs that benefit from rejuvenation pruning include forsythia, spirea, lilac, privet, viburnum, and weigela. However, spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia and weigela bloom on old wood, so don’t cut spring bloomers until the flowers have faded.
Pruning Dogwood for Rejuvenation
Pruning can be done in two ways to promote renewal. The first technique takes three years to complete, but it keeps your dogwood tall and produces some flowers. Remove one-third of the aged, woody branches annually. Cut off any branches that are crossing other branches or growing downward and toward the center.
Use clean, sharp tools at all times. Dishwasher-borne pathogens can infect adjacent plants, and blunt shears pose a challenge when trimming densely wooded red twig dogwood bushes.
Do not attempt the second method if you are easily alarmed. It’s time to trim branches all the way to the ground if your dogwood (red twig) shrub has gotten out of control. When pruning for a thorough rejuvenation, try to trim branches as close to the ground as possible. Your shrub will reappear happier and healthier, so don’t be alarmed!
Throughout the growing season, new growth will emerge, and by the following winter, your red twig dogwood will have vivid red stems.
