Dogwood is a deciduous shrub grown for edible fruits or decorative appearance. Dogwood fruits have a weak but attractive aroma and an astringent, sour-sweet taste. They are used to make preparations for the winter and cook compotes that quench thirst in the summer heat.
Description of dogwood
Dogwood is winter hardy to grow in middle lane. In the botanical garden in Moscow it has been grown without shelter since 1950.
Exists folk sign – big harvest dogwood berries speaks of a cold winter.
Dogwood fruits are bright red berries with an oblong seed inside. There are varieties with yellow, purple and pink fruits. The shape of the berries can be from round to pear-shaped.
Several dozen varieties of dogwood have been bred. For some, the weight of the berry reaches 30 g. For comparison, in wildlife The weight of dogwood berries is no more than 5 grams.
Dogwood is decorative throughout the season. Early spring it blooms with clouds golden flowers, blooming long before the leaves unfold. Flowering is long - 20 days. Many bees, hungry during the long winter, gather on the flowers.
With early flowering, dogwood fruits ripen late - at the end of autumn.
Dogwood and cotoneaster - is there a difference?
Dogwood needs to be distinguished from cotoneaster. These shrubs belong to different families. Cotoneaster is an ornamental rosaceous plant. Dogwood is a plant of the dogwood family and has no similarities with cotoneaster, except for the name.
Where does dogwood grow?
In its wild form, the plant is found in Crimea, Moldova, the Caucasus and Transcarpathia. Its second name is male derain.
Despite its southern origin, dogwood can withstand temperate winters and set fruit. In the St. Petersburg region, and even more so in the Urals, bushes require shelter for the winter. In some years, the berries do not ripen completely and therefore become sour.
In cold conditions, dogwood does not reach the height that is characteristic of it by nature. Despite the difficulties with cultivation, summer residents of central Russia should not abandon the southern crop, since its fruits have.
In the south, dogwood is planted in the fall, in the middle zone - in early spring, before the buds open.
Dogwood is a symbiotic crop. For normal growth, it requires specific microflora, so the seedling must have a closed root system. Saplings with “bare” roots, due to the lack of native microflora, lag behind in growth and development.
Dogwood is grown on light fertile soil with a pH level of 5.5-6. The culture does not tolerate stagnant moisture. They choose a bright place for it, from which the snow melts early in the spring. A low-lying area where melt water and summer precipitation accumulates is not suitable.
Planting dogwood seedlings is carried out in the same way as planting other fruit crops. In the fall, the soil is dug well and weeds, especially rhizomatous ones, are removed.
landing pit they dig in the spring. Its diameter and depth must be in accordance with the volume of the root system. It is important that the roots are located in the soil without bends or creases when planting.
Before planting, a 4-5 cm layer of broken bricks or other drainage is poured onto the bottom of the hole. The drainage is covered. fertile soil, mixed with wood ash 1:1. The seedling is planted so that the grafting site is at soil level. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered, then mulched with peat or humus.
Often in garden plots you can see a plant with bright red berries. It's called dogwood. This shrub loves light, but also grows well in partial shade, is not afraid of drought, and it is also winter- and frost-resistant, tolerates frosts down to -40 degrees. The plant can be grown on any soil. But it is best to give preference to light soils with a large number nutrients and with good drainage. Dogwood grows as a subshrub that can be pruned and trimmed. Its height varies from two to five meters.
The flowering period of this plant begins earlier than others. fruit trees and semi-shrubs. It starts in March and lasts until mid-April if the daily air temperature is between 5-10 degrees. The average flowering time is 14 days.
The flowers of the plant are bright yellow. They are pollinated by bees and wind. To get a regular harvest, it is recommended to plant several plants at once. The first harvest can be harvested in late summer-early autumn. The shape of the fruit depends on the plant variety. The color of the fruits is red, yellow or pink.
The plant’s powerful branched rhizomes lie to a depth of 1 m from the ground surface. The main roots are located at a depth of half a meter.
Where to plant dogwood?
Usually this shrub is planted according to perimeter of the site. Any area is suitable for growing dogwood.
Recommendation: to get a good harvest, it is recommended to grow the plant in open areas. Lightweight, neutral, moist, drained soil, which is rich in calcium and has low acidity, is considered more suitable.
Growing dogwood is not particularly difficult. It can grow in partial shade and sun. An area with a slight slope is also suitable for it. The plant is suitable for growing on slopes that are oriented to the north and northeast.
When is it necessary to plant dogwood?
The most suitable period for planting plants is spring and summer. With the onset of autumn, the subshrub can be planted 14-21 days before autumn frosts.
How to choose the right seed?
You don't know which dogwood seedlings to buy? Then you need to familiarize yourself with the following recommendations. When buying seedlings, you need to pay attention to the condition they are in. rhizomes:
- they must be without signs of disease;
- preference should be given to seedlings that have two or three main root branches, the minimum length of which is 25-30 cm;
- rhizomes must be moist and not weathered;
- the bark should not be wrinkled, and the branches should be intact and strong.
If the purchase of seedlings occurs in the fall, it is recommended to carefully remove the foliage on the branches. In doing so, care must be taken not to damage ovary.
Recommendations: to prevent the roots from drying out during transportation, you need to wrap them in a damp cloth and place them in plastic bag. If the roots of the seedlings are very dry, then they must be immersed in liquid for a maximum of two to three days.
It happens that a purchased seedling cannot be planted immediately. In this case, it is recommended to bury it in the shade. To do this you need to do the following:
- Dig a shallow, slightly elongated groove. At the same time, it should be tilted to the south.
- The seed must be placed in the hole at an angle.
- The plant is covered with substrate so that all the roots and half of the seedling are covered.
- After this, the bush must be watered abundantly. So you can store seed for one month.
Preparation planting material is as follows:
- it is necessary to remove all broken, unhealthy, dry rhizomes and branches;
- To prevent the roots of the plant from drying out, it is recommended to coat them in a clay mixture before planting.
Planting dogwood
Plants that are one to two years old are suitable for replanting. Dogwood is planted in holes, the dimensions of which must be such that the rhizomes can be evenly located in it. More suitable sizes A pit whose depth is 30-50 cm is considered. The width in diameter should be at least 40 cm.
The plant does not tolerate stagnation of water, so it is necessary to place it at the bottom of the hole. drainage layer 10-15 cm thick. Pebbles, gravel or expanded clay can be used as drainage.
- humus - 1 bucket;
- superphosphate - 0.2 kg;
- ammonium nitrate - 0.05 kg;
- wood ash - 0.250 kg.
All ingredients must be mixed with a regular earthen substrate. After this, the hole is filled one third with the resulting mixture. Next you need to lay ordinary land up to half the volume of the hole and pour out a bucket of water. When it is absorbed, you can begin to place the seedling. The seed must be placed in the middle of the hole so that the root collar is deepened by two to three centimeters. After this, you need to carefully straighten the roots. It is important that no voids appear. When the seedling is correctly positioned, it is necessary to fill the hole with ordinary earthen substrate. Next, you should trample the soil a little. After this, water again and mulch land. Organic matter can be used for these purposes. The mulch is poured five to ten centimeters thick.
Dogwood care
Proper care of the plant consists of timely application of fertilizers, pruning and regular soil cultivation.
With the onset of spring, be sure to loosen priming. Then they do this five more times throughout the summer and once after harvest. After this they produce mulching soil with organic matter.
Watering can be done using the following methods:
- pour water into the recesses;
- into the holes located around the seedling.
An average of two to three buckets of water should be poured under one bush. When watering, it is necessary to take into account the age of the plant, soil and degree of moisture.
Dogwood feeding
For a bountiful harvest and good growth it is necessary to apply fertilizers every year. The following mixture can be used as fertilizer:
- ammonium nitrate - 0.03 kg;
- humus or compost - one bucket.
Recommendations: every year at the beginning of summer it is necessary for each mature plant pour 10 liters of fertilizer from water and fresh mullein in a ratio of 1:5. Instead, you can use bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Adding Agrolife to the top layer of soil is also suitable as a fertilizer.
Also, every year at the end of summer you can pour 0.5 liters under each plant. wood ash . After harvesting, it is recommended to apply 0.1 kg of superphosphate fertilizers.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can often hear questions: “How to grow dogwood?” Our gardener gives answers to this and other questions.
Illona writes to us the following: “Good afternoon. I need advice. I can't figure out how to grow dogwood. I have two dogwood bushes growing. Moreover, they have been growing next to each other for several years. On personal plot I also have an apiary. But the most interesting thing is that the ovary does not linger on my plants. Once, however, there was only one berry left at the very bottom. But it was also stolen either by insects or pets. Soon the bushes will bloom again. I'm thinking of wrapping them in agro-fabric. Maybe in this way I will be able to create a microclimate that will help preserve the ovary. Do you think this will help or not?
Answer: “For a plant to be pollinated, several conditions must be met: the presence of bees, wind, sunny weather and a pollinating tree. I believe that in your case you need to do the following:
- Plant another dogwood of a different variety.
- To attract more insects, it is recommended to spray the plant with a weak honey solution during the flowering period.
- It is best to wrap the tree with agrofibre overnight. And then, this must be done if night frosts are predicted during the flowering period. Such wrapping will not help for pollination.
It is important to remember the following:
- the plant bears fruit only for 7-8 years;
- dogwood does not bear fruit in clay soil.”
Julia asks: “Tell me, please. About three years ago I planted two dogwood bushes. They started without problems, but for some reason they grow very slowly and do not bloom. What should I do?".
Answer: “Pay attention to the soil. The plant will not grow in clay or full shade. It needs to be replanted. In general, I want to say that in the first years these subshrubs do not grow quickly. Most likely it is too early for your plants to bloom. Very often, dogwood begins to bloom after seven to eight years, if the plant is not an early variety.”
Igor asks: “I recently bought a dogwood seedling. The seller told me that I still need to buy a sexton. Explain to me what this is? Is it really necessary? After all, it costs the same as the seedling itself.”
Answer: “Usually these plants are planted in pairs. Of course, self-pollinating species have now been bred. But I often hear from people that these varieties do not always bloom. I would still recommend that you buy a second tree. With its help, pollination is guaranteed. The second plant can easily be a sexton.”
The benefits of dogwood berries
One berry contains many substances necessary for health: fructose, glucose, organic acids, nitrogenous and coloring substances, essential oil, vitamins C and P and phytancides.
The harvest from this subshrub can be consumed when:
- gout;
- anemia;
- hemorrhoids;
- dysentery;
- typhus;
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- joint diseases;
- skin ailments.
They also have the following effects on the human body:
- choleretic;
- diuretic;
- antiscorbutic;
- bactericidal;
- antipyretic;
- anti-inflammatory.
Berries contain pectin, which helps cleanse the body. It removes oxalic and lactic acid. With the help of biological active substances, which are part of them, can stabilize blood pressure, prevent sclerosis, eliminate headache stabilize intracranial pressure. The fruits also strengthen the walls of blood vessels and make capillaries less fragile. It is advisable to use it for venous insufficiency, inflammation of the veins and swelling of the legs. The fruits improve appetite and have a positive effect on metabolic processes in the body.
Description of dogwood varieties
Dogwood variety Vladimirsky
The fruit ripening period begins in mid-August and ends in early September. The fruit sizes are large. Productivity is high. On average, one berry weighs about 7.5 grams. The fruits are firmly attached to the branches.
Dogwood variety Vydubetsky
The fruits ripen around the twentieth of August. The berries are distinguished by their large size. On average, one fruit weighs 6.5-7.6 grams. The berries are well attached to the branches.
Variety Coral Brand
The period of ripening of this mid-early variety On average it falls on August 15-20. The berries are pink-orange in color. They can be round and barrel-shaped, similar to cherry plum fruits. On average, the weight of one berry is 5.8-6 grams.
Variety Lukyanovsky
The variety begins to ripen on average at the end of August. The shape of large fruits is bottle-shaped. The berries are dark scarlet in color, which changes to black as they ripen. Average weight one berry is about 6 grams.
Variety Gentle
The ripening period will fall on average on August 20-25. Bottle shaped berries are different yellow. The harvest can be harvested consistently every year.
Variety firefly
The period of mass ripening begins at the end of August and ends at the beginning of September. Firefly is the most large-fruited variety. The shape of the berries is bottle-shaped with a thickened neck. On average, the weight of one fruit is in the range of 6.5-7.5 grams.
Growing dogwood. Video
The sweet and sour taste of dogwood jam is very difficult to confuse: it is familiar to many from childhood. Dogwood is widely popular among gardeners in our country due to its ease of care, easy cultivation and variety of varieties. ABOUT correct landing, propagation methods and varietal diversity of this crop will be discussed in this article. As usual, the text is complemented by bright photos.
The Legend of the Dogwood
According to legend, one day the dogwood fell in love with the shaitan for its early flowering. “If a tree blooms early, then it will bear fruit first,” he thought. However, he miscalculated: other fruits were ripening, but his tree still bore green, hard fruits. Then the shaitan got angry and threw the dogwood out of his garden.
In late autumn, while picking mushrooms in the forest, people saw a bush covered in bright red, sweet-tasting berries. We took the bush into our garden. And for a long time after that they made fun of the shaitan, and he decided to take revenge. IN next year dogwood gave gifts to people bountiful harvest, but for it to ripen, the sun spent all its strength. Therefore, the winter was harsh and frosty. Since then, the second name for dogwood is shaitan berry, and there is a popular saying: a rich harvest of dogwood promises a harsh winter.
Description of the crop and common varieties
The common dogwood is a low, spreading shrub or tree 2-5 m high. In the garden, dogwood usually grows as a bush to make harvesting easier. The shoots can be easily shaped, forming a regular rounded-pyramidal crown.
The bush blooms early: in the middle zone, dogwood blooms from March 30 to April 20. Sudden cold snaps or returning spring frosts are not scary for dogwood flowers. In the cold, the flowers shrink and remain in this state until the weather warms up. Flowering in dogwood lasts 12-15 days, at the end of which the bush produces leaves.
Attention! When purchasing and planting dogwood seedlings, keep in mind that the crop is self-sterile, so to obtain a harvest you must have two or more shrubs planted nearby.
The shape and color of dogwood fruits depends on the variety: breeders have developed varieties with pear-shaped, oval-cylindrical, elliptical berries of red, maroon, yellow, pink or orange, sweet and sour in taste and with a specific aroma.
Of the most common dogwood varieties, the following can be noted:
- Kizil Vladimirsky known for its large black and red fruits, dense pulp, sweet taste and high yield (55-60 kg of harvest is harvested from a 20-year-old bush). One berry can weigh more than 7 g. Fruiting occurs in early September. Overripe fruits do not fall off the branches;
- Kizil Vydubetsky stable in fruiting. Every year, up to 60 kg of harvest is obtained from one bush. The fruits are dark red in color, weighing up to 6.5 g, expanded pear-shaped and sweet and sour dense pulp. The ripe harvest is harvested on the 15th of September;
- Dogwood Tender. Distinctive feature this variety has fruits yellow with tender, very sweet pulp and a strong aroma. The seed is usually visible through the skin of a ripe fruit. The berry weighs on average 4.5-5.5 g. Fruiting is annual, moderately abundant (from one adult bush the yield is no more than 40 kg);
- Dogwood Firefly the largest-fruited variety. The weight of its berries reaches 7.5 g. The color is also unique - red-black with dark burgundy sweet pulp. The bush is harvested at the end of August, fruiting is abundant (up to 60 kg) annually. Berries retain their taste perfectly when frozen or canned.
- Dogwood Elegant The fruits are distinguished by a beautiful regular bottle shape, weighing 5 g and early maturation(early August). The ripe berry is cherry-black in color with dark red, sweet and tender pulp; it does not crumble when overripe. Productivity up to 50 kg from a 15-year-old tree.
Planting dogwood
Dogwood is not picky about soil conditions: it grows equally well on rocky or sandy soils, as well as on soils with good nutrition. Liming the soil around the tree helps speed up growth and fruiting. In nature, dogwood often grows in poor soils. In the garden, dogwood is planted in open sunny places, sometimes along the border, creating a kind of hedge. When planting, keep in mind that the dogwood tree can grow up to 3-4 m wide.
Important! On rich soils, one plant needs an area of 6 x 5 m for nutrition, on poor soils without regular watering– 4 x 5 m. Lack of space contributes to thickening of the middle of the crown and the absence of abundant fruiting.
Suitable for planting are one- and two-year-old seedlings at least 120 cm in height, with at least three formed lateral shoots on the trunk. The planting pit is prepared in advance. Her minimum size is 80 x 100 cm and 70-80 cm deep. A week before planting the dogwood, organic and mineral fertilizers are placed in the hole:
- humus 1-1.5 buckets;
- 50-70 g ammonium nitrate;
- 200 g superphosphate;
- 250 g wood ash;
- a small amount of lime.
Planted shrubs are watered very abundantly, at least 25-30 liters per bush.
Attention! For good cross-pollination, plant varieties of the same flowering period next to each other.
Since the dogwood root system has time to dry out during planting, the shoots are also shortened by one third of their length. An adult 5-12 year old tree can easily tolerate replanting if the dogwood is heavily pruned before digging. Fruiting begins again after a year.
Dogwood care and feeding
Caring for the plant is quite simple and usually comes down to loosening trunk circle, weed removal, sanitary pruning and watering in dry summers. The dogwood's shallow root system will require mulching the soil around the trunk with hay, sawdust, freshly cut grass, or straw. The crown of the bush does not require formative pruning. Thin out the bush only if it is thickened or if dry and intertwining branches are removed. Once every 10-15 years, dogwood needs rejuvenation.
Dogwood is a drought-resistant crop. The shallow location of the root system helps the shrub to use even extremely rare summer precipitation to its advantage. However, in dry summers it is still advisable to moisten the soil near it. During prolonged drought, dogwood leaves curl into a boat. Due to this, the evaporating surface is reduced and most of the moisture remains in the plant.
Adult dogwood bushes are fertilized annually in two stages: at the beginning and at the end of summer.
The first feeding for each bush includes the application of 10 liters of infusions:
- mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5;
- bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
The second feeding includes:
- 500 ml wood ash;
- 100 g of superphosphate (applied after harvesting the fruits).
Reproduction of varietal dogwood
Varietal dogwood is propagated exclusively vegetatively: in spring or summer vaccination, layering and green cuttings.
The most commonly used method of dogwood propagation is budding method. The eyes take root in 85-90%. The procedure is carried out from July 25 to September. The budding technique is not much different from other trees: it is taken from the scion vegetative bud and grafted onto the rootstock in a T-shaped cut or butt. The incision site is tied with garden adhesive tape. If the work is done successfully, after a month the kidney takes root and begins to develop.
Biennial plants grown from dogwood seeds are an excellent rootstock for grafting. With optimal care, oculant seedlings in the first vegetative year reach a height of 120-150 cm and form 4-5 lateral shoots. Fruiting of seedlings occurs in 2-3 years.
In the spring, in March-April, the rootstock is grafted into a lateral incision: at the butt and with improved copulation.
Beginning gardeners often use the method propagation by layering. It consists of stimulating root formation on the stem of the mother bush before separation. The dogwood shoot is pressed and secured to the ground. The top of the shoot is sprinkled with a ten-centimeter layer of moist soil. After a year, the young rooted plant can be separated and replanted in a permanent place.
Nurseries and garden farms often use the method of rooting green and woody cuttings in fog-forming installations, in which air temperature and humidity are constantly regulated. However, at home, rooting in this way rarely occurs.
Diseases and pests of dogwood
Varietal dogwood is rarely affected by diseases or pests. Rarely found on leaves of young seedlings powdery mildew, which disappears after double treatment with any systemic fungicide. Pathogenic fungi can settle on dry branches that are cut at the wrong time, which subsequently spread to healthy shoots. For prevention, carry out sanitary pruning regularly.
How to plant dogwood: video
Growing dogwood: photo
Residents of the middle zone know little about this wonderful berry; planting dogwood is mostly familiar to residents of the southern regions. In the Crimea and the Caucasus, jams and preserves are prepared from sweet and sour fruits; they are added to many national dishes. The plant is valued not only for useful fruits, but also for very durable wood. Depending on the gardener’s preferences, cultivation can be carried out in the form of both a tree and a bush.
Why is dogwood unpopular in cold regions?
Dogwood is unpretentious, it does not need complex care. In the southern regions, wild varieties form huge thickets, and the berries are no worse in taste than cultivated varieties. The hardy tree is not afraid of frost; only temperatures below -30⁰ can damage its branches. If such phenomena are short-lived, young shoots can be covered, and they will overwinter well. Unlike fruit trees, which produce good harvests every 2 years, dogwood does not need rest; it bears fruit every season. Why is such a wonderful plant unpopular among summer residents in the middle zone and in the north?
The growing season of dogwood is about 250 days, and it blooms very early. Spring frosts in cold regions they can destroy the ovaries, but even if the owners manage to save them, the fruits often do not have time to ripen. Breeders are working to solve this problem; species with early dates ripening of berries. Planting and growing zoned varieties often brings rich harvests.
The common dogwood blooms when it is still cool outside, the temperature is about +12⁰. In such weather, bees cannot pollinate flowers. To allow the wind to transfer pollen from one plant to another, plant at least 2 trees close to each other on the site. Some gardeners believe that shrubs can pollinate themselves. Maybe, but the harvest will be very meager. But if you plant a bush of a different variety nearby and provide them good care, almost all flowers will turn into berries.
If it is impossible to find a place for another tree on the site, plant 2 seedlings of different varieties in one hole. Intertwine the trunks, and they will develop as one bush and pollinate each other.
Place for planting southern shrubs
Dogwood loves soils rich in lime, with a neutral or alkaline reaction. It is desirable that manganese be present in the soil, otherwise it needs to be added when fertilizing; dogwood needs this element. Groundwater it does not tolerate it, the depth of their occurrence should be at least 1.5 m. In low areas it is necessary to make good drainage, and sometimes even build a mound.
The shrub does not like crowded spaces; it needs that there are no fences, buildings, other trees or trees within a radius of 4-5 m. tall bushes. The common dogwood is a long-liver; it grows in one place for up to 100 years. Over time, the crown increases in diameter, and new fruit-bearing shoots appear. If the planting is too crowded, the crown will begin to narrow and the yield will decrease.
The plant develops well in partial shade, but in the complete absence sunlight the harvest will be poor. It is advisable to plant the shrub to the north of the tall tree. On a hot afternoon, the foliage will protect the dogwood from scorching rays, and in the morning and evening it will receive good lighting. If the entire south side is open, tall poles with a clothesline or other temporary structure can be installed.
Where to get planting material
Ready-made seedlings can be purchased at nurseries. Two-year-old trees about 1.5 m high take root well. They should have a fairly thick trunk - at least 2 cm in diameter - and 5 main branches. It is advisable to purchase varieties bred in your region; they will not have to adapt to new conditions.
If you prefer planting from self-harvested material, you can use one of the methods:
- planting seeds;
- layering;
- cuttings;
- root suckers;
- dividing the bush;
- budding.
For residents of the northern regions, where selected dogwood varieties die from frost, the only way to grow this shrub is to plant seeds. Take seeds from different varieties of fruit, sow them and see how the plants survive. Dogwood will not retain all varietal qualities with this method of propagation; even from berries from one bush, trees with different properties. For several years, observe how the bushes endure the winter, what kind of harvest they produce, and leave the best specimens. From them you can take cuttings and layering for further propagation.
If you want dogwood seeds to germinate quickly, keep them in a 2% sulfuric acid solution for 3 days, and then sow them in damp sand, keep them in a warm place and make sure that the surface of the soil does not dry out. The grains will begin to hatch within 3 months.
In spring, low branches can be pressed to the ground and covered with soil. Make small trenches in the soil and place one-year-old shoots in them. Cut off the top so that the main forces go to the formation of roots. If provided proper care, by autumn the shoot will take root. Cut it from the main bush and you will have a seedling ready for planting.
Often around the bush you can notice new shoots growing from the roots. You can dig up a shoot with a fragment of the underground part and transplant it to a new place. This planting is not suitable for grafted plants: if a wild bush was taken for the rootstock, then the offspring will be wild.
You can divide an adult bush into parts, but each fragment must have a good root system and a strong above-ground part. This work can be carried out either in early spring or in autumn before frost.
Another way is to plant green cuttings from mature bushes.
If strong wood has already formed inside the shoot, the cutting will not take root.
Cut branches 10-15 cm long with two pairs of leaves. Remove the bottom pair and treat the cut with a root growth stimulator. Stick the shoots into the soil, sprinkled with a thick layer of clean sand and equip a shelter with film. 2-3 weeks before rooting, keep the plantings at a temperature of about +25⁰ and protect from bright sun. The soil must be constantly moist. When the seedlings take root, feed them ammonium nitrate. Next autumn, young plants can be moved to a permanent place.
How to graft dogwood
If you want, you can grow seedlings from seeds. Perhaps they will make a productive tree or a good rootstock for budding. The grains require a long stratification; they need to be kept in the refrigerator for almost a year. When sowing, keep in mind that the seed does not open; a small hole appears in it, through which a weak sprout emerges. If you bury the seeds deeper than 3 cm, the seedlings may not break through. The shoots grow very slowly, they require care, and the tree will begin to bear fruit only after 7 years. Dogwood loves to surprise gardeners. If ripe fruits germinate for more than a year, then unripe seeds may develop sprouts after 6 months.
Wild dogwood seeds can be used to grow a good rootstock for a varietal bush. Sow many different grains, the sprouts will not take up much space on the site, but you can choose the strongest and hardiest seedling. At the age of 2 years, when the bush has taken root well after transplantation, it can be grafted. In mid-summer, cut off a bud with bark and a small layer of wood from the plant you like. A cross-shaped cut is made horizontally and vertically on the rootstock. The scion is inserted into the vertical slot and secured with a special tape or tape.
All shoots below the grafting site on the rootstock must be cut off. Make sure that the plant does not produce new wild branches. After a month, the fixing tape must be removed. Cultivate the bush in the usual way. Next spring New shoots will appear from the bud, and after 2 years you will taste the first fruits.
If you want to grow different varieties dogwood, and there is only enough space on the site for 2 bushes, graft each tree with several buds of different varieties.
When growing fruit trees, grafting of young shoots is often used, but here too the dogwood shows its individuality. In early spring, before the growing season begins, you can try to graft a cutting. This method rarely gives results; despite careful care, the shoots do not grow well. If, with skillful budding, up to 70% of the buds take root, then successful grafting occurs no more than 20%.
Planting shrubs
Dogwood should be planted in the fall. Each region has its own time when to begin this work. Folk wisdom recommends: the most effective planting occurs at the time when the poplar begins to shed its leaves. In the spring in the middle zone it is very difficult to guess the right time for planting: the period when the soil has already warmed up and the buds have not yet begun to bloom.
Dig holes 80 cm deep and 80 cm in diameter at a distance of about 5 m from one another. Drive a stake into the ground from the direction of the prevailing winds; it will hold the tree in windy weather. Place the seedling behind the stake and bury it so that the root collar is a few centimeters above ground level. After watering and rain, the soil will settle and it will take the desired position. First, pour fertile soil from the top layer into the hole so that the roots take root in nutrient medium. Water the soil well and tie the trunk to a stake. After heavy rain make sure that the depth is calculated correctly: if the planting is high and the root collar is above the surface of the ground, the bush will develop poorly, and when buried, it will produce a lot of root shoots, which will make caring for the plant difficult.
Some gardeners believe that all branches of a seedling need to be shortened by a third, others do not do this, and the tree takes root well. It’s up to you to decide what to do; you can cut shoots on one bush and not on another and see what’s best. Do not forget that each plot has its own soil, its own microclimate, and therefore crops are grown according to different schemes. Any recommendations need to be checked in practice; each owner should have individual experience and knowledge of what care his pets require.
Does an unpretentious dogwood need care?
Caring for dogwood trees is easy, but you can make the job even easier by covering the ground around the trunk with a thick layer of mulch after planting. Make sure that the root collar is not covered; it should be exposed to air. Weeds will not grow through compost or mowed grass; the soil there will always be loose and moist. Dogwood roots are mainly located in top layer soil. In dry weather, you need to water the bushes, or better yet, organize a drip irrigation system.
From May to autumn, the bush works hard: energy is spent both on the formation of fruits and on growing young shoots. For these processes to occur correctly, the plant needs a sufficient amount of nutrients. Until mid-summer, use fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen and phosphorus, and in the second half of the season potassium is needed. In nature, dogwood prefers calcareous soils, because without calcium, growth and formation of fruits is impossible. If the soil of your site does not have this component, add it to the fertilizer.
Dogwood does not need frequent pruning. Before the growing season begins, only diseased, dry and broken branches should be cut off so that they do not become a source of infection. To give shape young plant leave a low, about half a meter, standard and 5 skeletal branches. To rejuvenate plants older than 20 years, prune branches that are 4 years old. In their place, new fruiting shoots will appear. The tree tolerates pruning well, and if you want to use it as ornamental plant, you can give the crown an unusual shape.
Dogwood is resistant to diseases and pests, and proper care will make the bush even stronger. Still, do not forget to inspect the plant from time to time in order to notice problems in time.
- Powdery mildew – white coating on the shoots. Treat the plant with colloidal sulfur.
- Rust - yellow spots on the leaves. The bush needs to be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.
- Spotting. Bordeaux mixture will also help with this disease.
- Snail scale insect. The pest is destroyed with lime.
- Multicolor caterpillar. Spray dogwoods with Parisian greens.
Conclusion
Dogwood can be grown and harvested not only in the south, but also in northern regions. If you provide the plant with proper care, it will bear fruit for up to 100 years. You can leave one trunk and grow the dogwood as a tree, or leave the lower shoots unpruned and have a bush.
In order for dogwood to develop well and bear fruit, you need to choose the right varieties and planting method. Growing from seeds is a labor-intensive task, but sometimes this is the only method possible in northern areas. Budding gives good results: you can try to grow shoots of tender varieties on a winter-hardy rootstock.
Dogwood is tenacious and unpretentious; it will tolerate any conditions. Does the plant need care? If you want to eat berries in sufficient quantities, do not forget about watering and fertilizing. You can leave the bush completely unattended, but good harvests he won't give it. Love your green pets, and your plot will always be beautiful and productive.
Almost all gardeners grow on their plots berry bushes. Among them you can find dogwood, a plant with sweet and sour fruits. In our latitudes it is quite common and produces a bountiful harvest with proper care.
Form it in the form of a bush or tree. Many gardeners also use dogwood as an ornamental plant.
Description of dogwood
Dogwood(Cornus) ─ plant from the dogwood family. It has a powerful root system located superficially. The height of a bush or tree can reach 5 m. It has long flexible shoots, bright leaves and white or golden yellow flowers. They may be speckled or bordered depending on the variety. Dogwood leaves are bright and decorative; with the arrival of autumn they acquire a red tint.
There are about 50 plant species. Dogwood lives for about 100-150 years, blooms from March to April, after which its leaves bloom, and possible return flowering in early autumn. Fruit ripen in August–September and there are:
- Cylindrical;
- Pear-shaped;
- Round;
- Barrel-shaped.
They are also varied in color: red, purple, pink, black, yellow. Their shape and color depend on the dogwood variety.
There are quite a few places where dogwood grows. It is widespread in the Caucasus, there is especially a lot of dogwood there, and its cultivated forms are grown in the Crimea, Moldova, Ukraine, and central Russia. It also grows in Eastern and Southern Europe and China.
Selection of seedlings
When purchasing planting material, you need to pay attention to the following requirements: :
- Optimal The age of the seedling should not be more than 2 years;
- The seedling is without damage or signs of disease;
- It is important that the trees have branches;
- The condition of the branches and bark without any creases or sagging;
- The presence of 3–5 skeletal branches on the seedling;
- The seedling's standard should be about 1.5 m high with a trunk thicker than 2 cm.
You can check the cut bark of a living dogwood seedling: it should have green. Before transportation his plants roots better wrap in damp cloth and polyethylene. If they are very dry, it is good to place the seedling in a bucket of water, where it can remain for up to 2 days.
If it is not possible to plant bushes right away, you can make small grooves in the area and place the seedlings in them at an angle. Half of the plant and the roots must be covered with soil and watered abundantly. You can store them this way for no more than a month.
Correct fit
Before starting the procedure, you must check the roots and cut out all their damaged parts, remove broken branches. Root system can be treated with clay mash. If possible, it is better to keep a ball of earth on the seedling.
Before planting dogwood, you need to choose a place. Minor drawback sun will not negatively affect the development and productivity of dogwood. But in full shade, the plant slows down its growth, and its flowering and fruiting weaken. The bush needs place with good lighting , but so that he does not stay in constant sunshine.
