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| Hello, In the front of my house is a large what I call traditional white Dogwood. The ones you always see growing wild at the edge of the woods. I have tried pink flowering ones before and killed them, so they make me nervous. This Dogwood was here when I bought the home. It is sort of a mess and needs a large limb took out of it. I have light pruned a few things out of it as a test. I have read conflicting info before on the proper time to prune. I have pruned before in early spring before new growth has started and immediately after flowering in mid to late Spring. Both times it has dripped red sap out of the cut small limbs. The last two years I have left it alone and is very healthy, but over the years it has been neglected. It has a low limb on it that I keep hitting my head on when mowing...lol..The limb is about as thick as an average persons arm and is about 12 foot long. The limb does nothing for the look of the tree, but I would hate to do harm to it. Just doesnt seem right to me to see red sap dripping out of these very little limbs I have pruned in the past. Cant imagine how much this big limb would bleed if I took it out in Spring with a chainsaw. Please help my head hurts...lol |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by lisanti07028 z6NJ (My Page) on Fri, Jun 22, 12 at 14:08
| Could you give us a picture of the tree? |
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- Posted by hydrangeasnohio 6a (My Page) on Sat, Jun 23, 12 at 14:22
| Here are some pics of it. Maybe the branch is a little bigger than I described before. It is off the backside of the tree. The branch goes out and does almost a 90 degree turn with a little puff of leaves. That I imagine no one will barley even notice if it was gone. Basically all my trees are small ornamental trees that were planted by me, except for this one & a huge Sycamore at the property line. I am scared to hurt or kill it. Although in the front someone before me has already chainsaw pruned a limb off. I appreciate the privacy and shade it gives to my front porch. Wouldnt mind to hear any kind of pruning advice for this tree.
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| Cut the offending branch and be done with it. PS - That tree, from what I can see, doesn't look like a "mess" at all. It looks like a pretty nice Dogwood. |
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- Posted by hydrangeasnohio 6a (My Page) on Thu, Jun 28, 12 at 10:03
| Thanks for the compliment about it. But it does have some serious dead wood and suckers that need took out of it also. It looks better from a distance...lol.... Last 2 years I have noticed dogwoods in my neighborhood getting what I would call mildew on their leaves. Dogwoods are very popular in my neighborhood & seem like most have this problem all of a sudden. I have noticed this year 3 mature ones close to my house have died this year. My Dogwood did not have the mildew on it last year, but this year it does. Although it seems to be lightly effected by it, while others have more extreme cases of it this year. I have always been a very cautious gardener which has served me well in the past. With this mildew issue and from pruning in past years making it bleed. I am scared to hack out such a large limb. Just wish someone knew the proper time of year to prune these types of Dogwoods??? |
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| Ideally, you'd probably wait until early winter. Then you can really get a good look at what you are doing to the crown and the tree is dormant. However, I doubt that cutting that one branch off, alone, will do serious harm to the tree. Whether you do it now, or later. |
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| PS - This is a case of when its good to remember what happens in nature. In nature, its not unusual for trees to get limbs ripped off by storms. They usually survive. Assuming its just the one limb, your tree should also be fine. |
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- Posted by toronado3800 Z6 St. Louis (My Page) on Fri, Jun 29, 12 at 0:18
| That is one nice tree. And a pretty decent pick-up truck also. Regular dogwood is probably Cornus Florida. I swear there was a correct time to prune them. Some disease entry or something. In the absence of further direction I prefer to prune live limbs in late winter also. Not only can you see what you're doing to the structure but them darned leaves aren't in the way lol. Nice tree. Put up some spring and fall pics if ya get the chance. |
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- Posted by hydrangeasnohio 6a (My Page) on Sat, Jun 30, 12 at 9:44
| THANKS!! I will wait till winter & try to remember to keep ducking when mowing this year. Although it hasnt been a problem lately with this nasty drought we are having. I have given up on trying to keep the grass green. The Landscapers in my area must be going broke with no snow to plow last winter and no grass to cut this summer. Taking a walk around the neighborhood yesterday noticed another yard with one large & one small Dogwood dead. They are dropping like flies around here. Looks like the guy takes good care of his landscape and has to be upset. The Large one had maybe a couple dozen leaves left on it bright red in color. Not sure whats going on around here. |
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