How to Kill a Red Osier Dogwood
If you saw a red osier dogwood, you might not think that the plant was a member of the dogwood family. This shrub, which is often called the red twig dogwood, is actually a large shrub with multiple stems. Rather than producing the characteristic dogwood flowers, red osier dogwood blooms produce clusters of white flowers in midsummer. Unlike introduced dogwood tree species, the native red osier dogwood grows well in the temperate zones of North America. They live in wet areas such as stream beds and lake shores. The plants may be controlled through a combination of mechanical and chemical means. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Lawn tractor
- Brush mower
- Chainsaw
- Glyphosate spray
- Disk plow attachment
Instructions
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Mow down red osier dogwood shrubs with stems that are smaller than 4 inches in diameter using a lawn tractor and brush mowing attachment in summer or fall.
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Cut down red osier dogwood with stems that are larger than 4 inches in diameter with a chainsaw.
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3
Spray the trunks of red osier that have been cut down with a systemic herbicide such as glyphosate at a rate of 7 pints per acre in August. The severed shrub stems will pull the systemic herbicide down to the roots of the plant during this time of year and kill them. Red osier dogwood have a dense matting root system that can easily send up new stems if you do not kill them using this method.
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Plow the ground four times yearly with a disk plow attachment for your lawn tractor in order to prevent new red osier seedlings from sprouting.
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Tips & Warnings
Using heavy equipment, herbicides and chainsaws all carry some element of risk. Please read all user's manuals, safety precautions and warnings attached to these items before using the items and wear the proper safety and protective gear.
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- Photo Credit Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images
