Cornus (Dogwood) – Create a Colourful Display With Little Know How
Cornus, or Dogwood, has seen a great surge in popularity of late and has been featured in many high profile garden designs. The family of plants is vast and individual plants can offer colourful stems in winter, beautiful flowers in Spring and some truly wonderful growing habits. Cornus grows well in containers and adds a focal point and interest to the winter garden.
Cornus is a family of deciduous shrubby plants that grow very well in a range of climates and ours is no exception, making Cornus an excellent choice for low maintenance gardens. After purchasing your plants and bringing them home you should move them in to their final positions as soon as possible. Obviously this is not always possible and if you find that you cannot move your plants in to the garden straight away you should ensure that your plants are watered well and kept in a cool and bright space until planting is possible.
A position in full sun or partial shade is suitable for most Cornus, however, you should refer to individual growing instructions for more specific information as there is always an exception to the rule. Grow plants towards the back or middle of beds and borders for best results and consider the eventual height and spread of plants, especially when planting young or small specimens.
Generally Cornus will grow on most soils and for best results soil should be relatively fertile, free draining, and moisture retentive. To prepare the soil for planting you can incorporate plenty of organic matter, such as well-rotted garden compost or multi-purpose compost, and apply a general fertiliser to provide plants with nutrients for growth. Each step will help to improve soil structure, fertility and drainage.
Some care is required post-planting and the degree of maintenance offered will vary depending on your lifestyle and commitments. After planting it is advised that you water plants well to ensure that they develop strong roots and establish as best as possible. You should make sure that plants do not dry out completely as this will increase stress, affect growth and possibly even lead to plant death. Apply general fertiliser at intervals in the growing season and mulch in spring with composted bark, compost or well-rotted manure to feed plants, help conserve water and keep roots moist throughout summer. To encourage the formation of brightly coloured stems in Winter you should prune plants back to 2″ from the soil in Spring prior to new buds breaking. Plants should be afforded as much sun as possible and soil should be moist to produce the best and brightest colour.
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