When can I prune a Red Twig Dogwood Shrub?

Question

I have a large red twig Dogwood bush and it is starting to look sloppy. When can I prune it and how much can I take off?

Answer 1

the general rule prune after bloom...and you can remove as much as 1/3 of the plant, but no more.
hope this helps.

edited: jerry g....what blooms from may- dec in philly does not do so in the south...and since we don't know where the asker lives the answer is correct. prune after bloom!

Answer 2

Pruning Red Twig Dogwood

Answer 3

Belize never had a RedTwig Dogwood or else they would know that the plant blooms from May to December in most areas. Treat the plant as you would any other flowering shrub.
I introduced this plant into Center City Philadelphia in the mid 80's. Thirty years later the originals are still intact and healthy. A little fert, a little water, a little preventive spray, and a little pesticide spray works wonders.
Forget when it blooms. It blooms, when cared for an entire year. Check for any and all dead or black stems. Remove them immediately and do so on a monthly basis. This is a Dogwood and requires an Acidic Fertilizer. Feed it appropriately. It requires roughly 1" per week of water at the root level (6-8" deep) to really go. Treat it with the same preventive sprays (dormant oil in spring and summer, a general insecticide ((Sevin)) in late spring and early Sept, and a fungicide as needed in mid to late summer.
You can grow this to be either three foot tall or up to fifteen foot tall. My boss grew her's to be a hedgerow twenty foot in height. If you want the true redtwig effect you need to prune in the spring (now) and in the fall. The new growth is what is truly red in the color.
In your mind's eye picture what you want to have in shape. If you live where there is snow picture a shrub surrounded by white with red stems out of the snow. The newer the growth (via the pruning) the more red the color!
During the season continue to hand prune the dead heads back and shape as you desire.
Feed this plant, water it, fertilize it in the spring and fall and you have a true survivor. I also surrounded my RedTwig with Blue Fescue Grass plantings. In winter, without snow, the Blue-Gray mounded plant backgrounded by the bright red twigs was a sight to behold.

Answer 4

Gee, how do you get a plant to bloom in December?

My redtwigs grow on alkaline soil and do quite well. Maybe they would be redder on acidic soil but that isn't going to happen.

I agree with the pruning.........since it is the younger stems that are so red, prune from the bottom, removing the oldest and thus less red stems. While down there also look at the interior of the shrub removing crossing and rubbing branches. When all is tidy down below, come up top and shape, if necessary. Don't clip each tip! Just a few thinning cuts should be enough. You don't want a red cue ball, you want a red shrub with natural form. Do this after flowering so you don't miss those lovely flowers.

The blue fescue and redtwig sound like a nice combination!

Answer 5

Red Stick Dogwood

Answer 6

Best done in dead of winter. The plant needs the foliage during the summer. Cutting too much now could kill it. Wait until Feb.

Answer 7

they're for sure sprawling flora. in case you elect for the branches to look like trunks you extra powerful only tie them to a tall stick (Trellace?). and then it is going to nevertheless choose for to sprawl. there could be cultivars that are extra upright, yet...usually they strengthen sideways and root on the nodes that touch the floor.