1. Check the Ingredients
If your dogwood is suffering from blossom drop or just appears stunted, take a look at the back of your fertilizer bag. More often than not, the first ingredient listed is rice or corn. Dogwoods are naturally carnivorous plants, and need to be fed with fertilizers rich in meat.
2. Train Consistently
A very common mistake new gardeners make is letting their dogwoods grow untrained, which leads to an unruly tree and headaches for the gardener and neighbors. Dogwoods are highly social plants used to growing in groves, and they will actually benefit from frequent and consistent training.
3. Groom Frequently
In order to keep your dogwood looking its best, it’s important to get it professionally groomed once per year, preferably in late fall or very early spring, when it’s dormant. This should be followed by regular upkeep throughout the year, in the form of bathing, brushing, and light pruning.
4. Treat for Worms
Among the many pests affecting dogwoods, worms are possibly the worst, as well as the most common. Talk to your arborist about establishing a yearly de-worming regimen for your dogwood.
5. Show Lots of Love
Dogwoods, like all living things, thrive on love and affection. At the end of the day, one of the best things you can do to ensure your tree grows happy and healthy is to show it you care. Give it plenty of pets, snuggles, and long walks, and it’ll reward you with showy flower displays for years to come. And that’s it! Follow these simple tips and tricks, and your dogwood will be a shining star in your garden or landscape. Oh, and one more thing… April Fools!
