How to Trim Redtwig & Dogwood
Red twig dogwoods consist of two species of deciduous shrubs known for producing vivid red winter stems. This includes tatarian dogwood (Cornus alba) and redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea). Red twig dogwoods are fast-spreading, multi-stemmed shrubs that grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 7. Trimming red twig dogwoods on a regular schedule will encourage the plant to produce an abundance of new green stems that eventually turn to bright red in the winter. Start pruning dogwood shrubs in the second year after planting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Remove all diseased, broken or dead branches on the red twig dogwood at any time of the year. Clean any pruners used to cut diseased branches with rubbing alcohol before making any other cuts. Get rid of any diseased branches removed from the dogwood to prevent spreading.
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Cut all of the stems on the red twig dogwood back to 2 inches in early spring of the second year.
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Cut the stems down to two buds from last season's growth each of the following years.
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Control the spread of the red twig dogwood by trimming off from one to four of the older branches on the shrub each spring.
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Tips & Warnings
Use hand shears to cut branches with a diameter up to 1/4 inch, use loppers on branches up to 1-1/2 inch and use a hand saw on any branches on the red twig dogwood that are over 1 inch in diameter.
Virginia Cooperative Extension suggest two alternative ways to prune the red twig dogwood. You can cut all of the stems on the red twig dogwood down to 9 inches every three years, or get rid of one-third of the older and large stems every year.
