How to Grow Dogwood Trees

Dogwood trees are beautiful, decorative trees that are found throughout the American southeast. Their distinctive pink, red or white flowers make them a gorgeous addition to almost any landscape. Here are some tips to make sure your dogwood trees remain full, beautiful and vibrant.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dogwood tree seedlings
• Suitable, partially shaded place to plant
• All-purpose fertilizer

1. Plant the trees carefully. A correct planting will ensure success throughout the tree's lifespan, while damaging it while planting will do no good down the road. The area should be partially shaded. Make sure you have dug a hole that is large enough to comfortably fit the root ball of the tree you are planting. The top of the root ball should be even with the ground. Once you have placed the tree in the hole, fill it with soil that you removed when digging.

2. Apply a layer of mulch around the tree at ground level. This is preferable to putting mulch near the roots.

3. Make sure the soil has proper drainage. Standing water will kill your dogwood.

4. Water dogwoods once or twice a week, depending on the amount of rain the area sees. Make sure that they are sufficiently moist, but not drowning. This is especially important during the first 2 years.

5. Keep mulch spread under a wide area beneath the tree to help insulate and protect delicate roots.

6. Use a general, all-purpose fertilizer to keep the soil around the dogwood fertile enough to keep promoting growth. Spread the fertilizer on the ground in a 2-foot radius out from the trunk of the tree. A newly planted dogwood only needs approximately 1/4 cup of 12-4-8 fertilizer in March, and again in July. Be careful not to over-fertilize, or you will do damage instead of good.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful around the trunk of your dogwood. Damage from lawn mowers, shovels and other implements can be permanently damaging.

• Plant your trees during the dormant season--between November and March.

• Do not concentrate fertilizer near the trunk of the tree.

• Dogwoods can be susceptible to pests. Keep an eye out for leaf spots and stem cankers that can foreshadow a bigger problem.