White dogwoodis one of the most popular deciduous shrubs planted in our gardens. It is used mainly for its decorative appearance all year round (also in winter due to red shoots) and easy care. We can also choose from very interestingvarieties of white dogwoodwith colorful leaves. See what the correct one looks likegrowing, cutting and reproducing white dogwoodWill this beautiful shrub also decorate your garden?
White dogwood - fruits and red shoots
White dogwood - cultivation
White Dogwood(Cornus alba) is a very decorative deciduous shrub that prefers a sunny position or partial shade.White dogwood is cultivatedis successful on most slightly acidic or neutral soils, provided that adequate moisture conditions are ensured.
What exactly? Well,in the cultivation of white dogwood should be consideredhumid or moderately humid places. However, this plant grows poorly in flooded areas. Among the popular garden varieties,white dogwood 'Elegantissima'tolerates periodic flooding and alkaline soils.
White dogwood tolerates air pollution well. Perfect for landscape and urban assumptions, as a colorful accent.
Dogwoods have a spreading habit, they grow due to suckers with shoots growing straight from the ground.White dogwood should be planted shallowly , covering the root ball with a thin layer of soil, so that air reaches the roots.In order to obtain a dense habit of this shrub, a rejuvenating cut is recommended.
White dogwood - cut
The main pruning of the white dogwoodis performed in order to increase the attractiveness of the winter color of the dogwood, we also remove the sick, thin and weak shoots.
From early spring to mid-spring, when new growths develop, remove one-third of the skeletal shoots, leaving a 5 cm stem from which new shoots will develop.
The pruning of the white dogwood isto form a multi-conductor plant with strong shoots growing close together just off the ground. Plants can be trimmed to a height of 15 cm in early spring to encourage the development of new shoots from the root of the plant.
White dogwood - pruning allows you to keep a compact bush habit
White dogwood - reproduction
White dogwood reproduces vegetativelywith the help of horizontal layers and herbaceous shoots.
The reproduction of the white dogwood with the use of herbaceous cuttingsinvolves cutting the cuttings from the tops of the shoots 8-12 cm long. We perform this treatment in July or August. Soak a dogwood seedling with a rooting accelerator (IBA) and plant it in an inspection area filled with a 1: 1 mixture of sand and peat.When propagating white dogwood by cuttingswe maintain a temperature of 15-18 ° C. After the cuttings have taken root, we transplant them into pots with a diameter of 7 cm and leave them for the winter in a cool inspection (10-12 ° C). After 2-3 years, we replant the plants permanently.
White dogwood is multiplied by horizontal layersat the beginning of spring or autumn. A year earlier, the mother plant should be strongly pruned, then it will produce long annual growths. In March of the following year, strong long shoots bend to the ground. Strengthen the place where we will bend the shoots with compost.
If you want topropagate the dogwood through the layers , carefully bend the young shoots towards the ground, remove their leaves and bury them in the grooves 10 cm deep.We keep the shoot in place by attaching it to the ground. Lightly knead the soil and water it. Side shoots, growing on strong sprinkled shoots, are pruned at a distance of 2 cm from the base. Remove the weak shoots growing from the base of the mother plant completely.
The storage site must be kept moist at all times. In late autumn, carefully dig out the rooted layers, cut them off from the plant and plant them in the position.
White dogwood - varieties
White dogwood 'Aurea'- a variety of white dogwood with an initially erect, later broadly bushy habit. It grows up to 2 m tall and has completely yellow leaves.
White dogwood 'Sibirica'- is a durable variety of white dogwood growing up to 3 m tall, initially stiffly erect, in shape, later with side branches spreading along the ground. Its coral red stems are extremely decorative, especially in winter, and its fruit is white, the size of a pea.
White dogwood BATON ROUGE 'Minbat'- is a shrub with a rounded, spreading habit, reaching approx.3 m wide. Shoots of this variety of white dogwood turn red and maroon in winter. Young shoots are pink and darken in the course of the year. The leaves turn from light green to brownish red in autumn. Dogwood flowers are creamy and appear in late spring.
White dogwood 'Elegantissima'
White dogwood 'Elegantissima'- this is a large, spreading, 3 meters tall variety of white dogwood with decorative leaves and shoots. The leaves are two-colored white and green, the shoots are red.
White dogwood IVORY HALO 'Bailhalo'- this is a new variety of white dogwood with foliage similar to the 'Elegantissima' variety, compact, spherical shape, reaching 1.2 m in height. It has decorative red shoots and light green leaves with a wide white margin, turning pink in autumn.
White dogwood 'Siberian Pearls'- a variety of white dogwood growing up to 3 meters high, with interesting leaves that color in autumn.During the growing season, the leaves are green, and in autumn they turn a dark red color. In addition to decorative leaves, this variety of dogwood also boasts beautiful fruit and strongly red-colored shoots.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
