#Pagoda Dogwood

[james-in-pace]

Beautiful illustration of leaves from Catskill Mountain trees - these can be found on the Mountain Top Arboretum https://www.mtarboretum.org/native-trees-gallery

[monardas]

[iicraft505]

who do i have to kill for a pagoda/alternate-leaf dogwood picture that actually shows the leaves alternating 🫠

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Native Plants I’ve Actually Seen Growing Wild in Southern Ontario

Acer saccharinum (silver maple) --along the sides of highways

Acer saccharum (sugar maple) --GTA ravines

Achillea millefolia (yarrow) --GTA ravines

Allium schoenoprasum (wild chives) --GTA ravines, Ridgetown

Allium tricoccum (ramps) --Niagara region escarpments

Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot amaranth) --fallow areas in the GTA

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) --fallow areas in the GTA

Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed) --parks in the GTA

Amelanchier spp. (saskatoon/serviceberry) --GTA ravines

Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) --GTA ravines

Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) --ravines and parks in the GTA

Asarum canadense (Canada ginger) --GTA ravines

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) --fallow areas, ravines, and parks throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort) --Niagara region escarpments

Betula spp. (birch) --ravines and parks throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Bidens spp. (beggar ticks) --GTA ravines

Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh) --GTA parks

Ceratophyllum demersum (hornwort) --GTA ravines (native in freshwater across the globe anyway)

Circaea lutetiana (enchanter’s nightshade) --fallow areas in the GTA

Commelina spp. (dayflower) --fallow areas in Windsor

Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda dogwood) --GTA wooded areas

Cornus sericea (red osier dogwood) --GTA ravines and in Windsor riverside parks

Crataegus spp. (hawthorn) --GTA ravines and parks

Echinocystis lobata (wild prickly cucumber) --GTA ravines

Elaeagnus commutata (silverberry) --GTA parks and fallow areas

Epilobium ciliatum (fringed willowherb) --fallow areas in the GTA

Equisetum spp. (horsetail/scouring rush) --GTA ravines and fallow areas

Erigeron spp. (fleabane) --GTA parks and fallow areas, Ridgetown

Erythronium americanum (trout lily) --GTA ravines and parks

Eutrochium maculatum (Joe-Pye weed) --GTA parks

Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) --fallow areas in the GTA

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) --Windsor green spaces

Geranium robertianum (herb robert) --Windsor green spaces

Geum aleppicum (yellow avens) --GTA fallow areas

Geum canadense (white avens) --GTA fallow areas

Geum macrophyllum (large-leaved avens) --GTA fallow areas

Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky coffee tree) --GTA ravines

Helianthus spp. (sunflower) --GTA fallow areas and parks

Heracleum maximum (cow parsnip) --GTA ravines

Hordeum jubatum (foxtail barley) --GTA fallow areas

Humulus lupulus (hops) --GTA ravines

Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) --GTA ravines

Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) --GTA ravines and in Windsor riverside parks

Juglans nigra (black walnut) --GTA ravines

Lactuca canadensis (Canadian lettuce) --GTA fallow areas

Lilium michiganense (Michigan lily) --GTA ravines

Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine) --GTA parks

Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower) --GTA ravines

Maianthemum racemosum (starry false solomon’s seal) --GTA ravines and parks

Maianthemum stellatum (starry false solomon’s seal) --GTA ravines

Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern) --GTA ravines

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) --GTA ravines and parks

Morus rubra (red mulberry) --fallow areas in Windsor, GTA parks

Myosotis laxa (smallflower forget-me-not) --GTA fallow areas

Oenothera biennis (evening primrose) --GTA fallow areas

Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) --GTA ravines

Oxalis stricta (yellow wood sorrel) --fallow areas and ravines throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Parietaria pensylvanica (Pennsylvania pellitory) --GTA fallow areas

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) --Windsor fallow areas and GTA ravines and parks

Persicaria lapathifolia (curlytop smartweed) --GTA fallow areas

Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple) --GTA ravines and parks

Portulaca oleracea (purslane) --fallow areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA (native globally anyway)

Potentilla norvejica monspeliensis (ternate-leaved cinquefoil) --GTA fallow areas

Prunella vulgaris (selfheal) --fallow areas and ravines throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Prunus virginiana (chokecherry) --Windsor fallow areas, GTA ravines and parks, Niagara region escarpments

Pteridium aquilinum latiusculum (western bracken fern) --GTA parks

Quercus spp. (oak) --wooded areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) --parks and fallow areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to Collingwood

Ribes spp. (currants) --GTA ravines and parks

Ribes spp. (gooseberries) --GTA ravines

Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) --GTA ravines and parks

Rosa spp. (roses) --GTA ravines, parks, and fallow areas

Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry) --ravines, parks, and fallow areas in Hamilton and GTA

Rubus odoratus (purple-flowered raspberry) --GTA ravines and parks

Rubus strigosus (American red raspberry) --GTA parks

Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed susan) --GTA parks

Salix spp. (willow) --GTA ravines

Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry) --Windsor riverside parks, GTA ravines

Sambucus racemosa (red elderberry) --GTA ravines and parks

Smilax spp. (greenbrier) --GTA parks

Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) --parks and fallow areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Sorbus spp. (mountain ash) --GTA ravines and parks

Streptopus spp. (twistedstalk) --GTA parks

Symphoricarpos spp. (snowberry) --GTA parks

Symphyotrichum ericoides (heath aster) --fallow areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster) --fallow areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage) --GTA parks

Tilia spp. (linden) --GTA ravines

Trillium grandiflorum (white trillium) --parks throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock) --GTA parks

Typha latifolia (broad-leaved cattail) --marshes in Essex county and GTA

Urtica gracilis (slender nettle) --GTA ravines

Uvularia spp. (bellwort) --streams in Windsor green spaces

Verbena hastata (blue vervain) --GTA ravines

Viburnum lentago (nannyberry) --GTA parks and Ridgetown ravine

Viburnum trilobum (highbush cranberry) --Ridgetown

Viola sororia (wood violet) --fallow areas and wooded areas throughout southern Ontario from Windsor to GTA

Vitis riparia (riverbank grape) --GTA fallow areas, ravines, and parks

Waldsteinia fragarioides (barren strawberry) --GTA ravines and parks

Xanthium strumarium canadense (Canada cocklebur) --GTA parks and fallow areas

I’ve likely seen many others and just couldn’t identify them, but there are a lot I’ve never seen growing wild. What I’m hoping is that some of the native species I have in my garden will make their way to the nearby ravine. If I get around to it, though, I might just take a walk with some Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) seeds in the fall. They certainly seem to successfully germinate in my garden whether I want them to or not (don’t have space for them to go crazy). Can’t see why they wouldn’t in a natural swamp area.

[tameblog]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[ramestoryworld]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[alexha2210]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[angusstory]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[tumibaba]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[romaleen]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[monaleen101]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[iamownerofme]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[shelyold]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[iammeandmy]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[januishstory]

Cornus controversa Giant, table, or wedding cake dogwoods command attention in the landscape. With their layered branches and profuse blossoms, it’s hard to look at anything else, and if you have the variegated type, it’s even more dramatic. Giant dogwoods grow indigenously in temperate areas of China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and Vietnam, but they’re cultivated throughout the world. And so long as you live in the appropriate climate of USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they’re pretty easygoing. In spite of one of their common names being “giant,” table dogwoods aren’t necessarily huge, either, topping out at 50 feet tall or less. The variegated cultivar commonly referred to as the wedding cake tree often remains much shorter at just 25 feet tall. Ideal as shade or specimen trees, they can be used in formal plantings and as a focal point to anchor the rest of the garden. In our guide to growing dogwoods, we cover how to cultivate species in the Cornus genus. Coming right up we’re going to talk all things table, giant, or wedding cake dogwood. Here’s what’s on the agenda: Table dogwoods are quick growing deciduous trees, so you can enjoy their statuesque, layered display in a relatively short period of time of about 10 years. What makes them stand out is the tiered growth habit, with the multiple layers of branches inspiring the common names “wedding cake” and “table.” The leaves are green on top and silver-green on the undersides. Unlike all other Cornus species except C. alternifolia, the pagoda dogwood, the leaves are alternate rather than paired. Table dogwoods don’t produce the large, showy bracts of the popular flowering dogwood (C. florida) or kousa (C. kousa). Instead, they have numerous, large, flattened panicles made up of dozens of small, creamy-white blossoms. These open up in late spring or early summer, depending on where you live. The flowers persist for a few weeks and then fade, giving way to fruits that will eventually mature into dark purple or black in the early fall. Quick Look Common name(s): Giant, table, wedding cake dogwood Plant type: Deciduous tree Hardiness (USDA Zone): 5-9 Native to: China, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam Bloom time / season: Spring Exposure: Full to partial sun Soil type: Loose, organically-rich, well draining Soil pH: 5.0-7.5, slightly acidic to neutral Time to maturity: 10 years Mature size: 50 ft wide x 50 ft high Best uses: Shade, specimen Taxonomy Order: Cornales Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus Species: Controversa In 1890, the famous Veitch Nursery in Exeter, England started advertising the variegated form of the plant. While the species is a stunner, the variegated type is breathtaking. C. controversa ‘Variegata’ is more common even than the species, and it’s obvious why. It’s a stunner. The leaves have cream to silver margins and these margins turn to bright yellow in the fall while the rest of the leaf takes on a red hue. When most gardeners say “wedding cake dogwood,” this is usually the one they’re picturing. It’s been described as everything from “sophisticated” and “striking” to “unusual” and “amazing.” It’s undeniably a stand-out. ‘Variegata’ is more slow-growing than the species and matures at about 25 feet tall, making it an excellent option for smaller areas. This cultivar won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Ready to include one of these beauties in your landscape? Let’s have a look at their care needs: How to Grow To transplant a sapling from the nursery, dig a hole three times as wide and deep as the growing container and work equal parts well-rotted compost into the soil that you removed and put it all back in the hole. Make a hole in the middle that is just a bit wider than the container the plant is currently growing in. Remove the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. Set the dogwood in the hole and fill in around it with the compost soil mixture. The plant should be sitting at the same height it was in the growing container. Water the soil and add a bit more if it settles. Light Grow giant dogwood in full or partial sun. Those who live in hot climates should definitely provide some afternoon shade, as the trees don’t do well in excessive heat. The variegated cultivar can be grown in partial shade, which will keep the variegation nice and distinct and encourages the layered formation. Temperature Hardy in Zones 5 to 9, wedding cake trees don’t do well in very hot southern climates. They enjoy cool summers like what you can find in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures above 90°F are detrimental and can harm the trees. Excessive heat can slow growth and burn the foliage. Extended periods of hot weather will cause the leaves to yellow and drop and might even kill the tree. Soil The soil needs to be organically-rich and well-draining, and preferably a little bit acidic to neutral with a pH between 5.0 to 7.5. It can be slightly sandy or slightly clay, but nothing too extreme. Water Giant dogwoods like a lot of water, though they can tolerate some drought once established. Try to keep the soil consistently moist, but you can allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings Aim for the texture of a well-wrung-out sponge. Mulch regularly to maintain an inch or two of fir bark or well-rotted compost over the root zone but three to six inches away from the trunk. Mulch will help keep the roots cool and retain the moisture in the soil. Fertilizing You shouldn’t need to fertilize an established specimen at all. If your soil is very deficient youcan provide some additional nutrients during the first few years while the tree is young. I highly encourage you to do a soil test, as that’s the only way to know what your soil is lacking and what you need to amend it with. Any good soil test will tell you where you soil is deficient and will provide suggestions about how to improve it. Follow the results of your soil test when you add amendments. Where to Buy While not as easy to find as the more common flowering dogwood, you can generally buy saplings at your local garden center or plant nursery. You may see table dogwoods listed as Swida controversa, as Swida is a synonym for Cornus and is now considered a defunct genus. Maintenance Depending on the look you want and whether you want to be able to walk or sit under the table dogwood tree, you might need to prune off the lower branches. The tree will often grow with branches reaching almost to the ground if left to its own devices. But some gardeners prefer it to have a more traditional canopy that starts six feet or so above the ground. Remove the branches at the trunk by cutting at a slight angle. You want the branch collar, which is the swollen area on the underside of the branch where it meets the trunk, to remain in place. Slope from the outer edge of the branch collar to meet the trunk at the top of the branch you’re removing. Don’t paint the wound with anything, just allow the tree to heal itself. You can remove branches to create more of an opening between the layers or to even out a lopsided tree, but I recommend allowing the tree to develop its own shape. Trees grow to best take advantage of the available light and accommodate any regular winds, it’s best to allow the dogwood to develop naturally. Pruning should be done in the early spring after the wood has thawed, but if you see diseased, deformed, or broken branches, feel free to prune them anytime. Propagation Because these trees can be a little hard to find on the market, lots of gardeners opt to grow theirs from seed or via stem cuttings from an existing tree. Fortunately, both these propagation methods are reliable. You can also graft these trees, but that’s best left to the experts. From Seed In the summer, after the blooms fade, the trees will develop small berries, known as drupes. When the birds start eating them and they are dark and squishy is usually when they’re ripe enough to harvest. Pry them open and remove the seeds, then soak in water for 24 hours and rub them on a towel to remove the pulp. At this point, you can either sow the seeds in the ground or put them in moist sphagnum moss and keep them in the fridge for three months. Putting them in the fridge mimics the cold stratification that happens naturally over the winter months. You can amend your soil with lots of well-rotted compost, but it’s not necessary. Sow two seeds together about a quarter to half an inch deep, then cover the planting area with a piece of wire mesh to prevent birds or critters from disturbing the seeds. Keep the soil evenly moist if Mother Nature doesn’t do it for you. If you prefer to start the seeds indoors in spring, keep your seeds in the fridge for three months. While they’re in there, keep the moss moist but not soaking wet. If you notice any mold forming, dip the seeds in a 20 percent bleach solution and then place them in fresh moss. After three months, remove them from the fridge and soak them for 24 hours in a bowl of water. Fill six-inch pots with potting mix and place two seeds in the center of each container a half to quarter inch deep. Place the pots in an area with at least four hours of direct sunlight and keep the potting soil evenly moist. The seeds don’t need light to germinate but a sunny location provides much needed warmth. It can take up to a month for the seeds to germinate. When the baby plant is at least six inches tall and the last frost of the year has passed in the spring, harden off the seedling over the course of a week before transplanting. From Stem Cuttings Dogwoods are easy to grow from stem cuttings as they root readily. Wait until the late winter or early spring when the buds are starting to swell but haven’t opened. Cut a six- to 12-inch length of soft, pliable stem. Make your cut just below a leaf node at a 45-degree angle. Fill a clear glass container like a canning jar with about three inches of water. Place the cuttings in the container and set it in a place with lots of bright, indirect light. Change the water every three days. When the cuttings have several inches of roots, you can move them into individual six-inch pots filled with potting mix. Bury the cuttings three or four inches deep and firm the medium up around the stems. Moisten the soil and keep it evenly moist. Place the cuttings in a spot with at least four hours of direct sunlight, either indoors or out if the weather permits. When the leaves emerge and fully open, you can harden off the cuttings if you were growing them inside before transplanting. Managing Pests and Disease Provided that you grow your tree in an appropriate spot and give it the conditions it prefers, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever have any issues with pests or disease. Stressed plants are susceptible to the following: Insects There are numerous pests that trouble dogwoods, but for the most part, if your tree is healthy an infestation won’t necessarily spell disaster. That’s especially true if you catch the issue early on. Scale insects are common. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from armored oystershell scale to soft brown scale. They use their sapsucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the tree, exuding a sticky substance called honeydew. This causes yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Our guide to controlling scale has more information. There are also multiple kinds of borers that favor dogwoods. Dogwood borers, the larvae of Synanthedon scitula, burrow into the wood and feed. This causes leaf drop and twig death. Dogwood twig borers (Oberea tripunctata) feed on young twigs, causing tip death and leaf drop. Flatheaded appletree borers (Chrysobothris femorata) chew through the bark and cambium layer, girdling the tree and causing tissue die off anywhere they feed. Learn all about dogwood pests and how to manage them here. Disease Wedding cake dogwoods are resistant to twig blight, which is a problem for many Cornus species. There are two types of anthracnose that trouble many dogwoods. These are discula and spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus Discula destructiva and Elsinoe corni respectively. Both cause tan and reddish-purple spots on leaves and bracts, while discula also causes sunken cankers. These cankers can girdle and even kill the tree. Leaf spot is another common issue. Caused by Cercospora cornicola or Septoria cornicola, it results in small, irregularly-shaped tan to black spots. Finally, there’s powdery mildew. Similar to the powdery mildew that attacks your cucurbits during the summer, it causes a powdery coating on the leaves. It is caused by the fungi Erysiphe pulchra or Phyllactinia guttata. Learn about all these and how to deal with them in our guide to dogwood diseases. A Giant Wedding Cake Table dogwoods are stately beauties that command attention, but they don’t demand a lot of maintenance in return. They’re pretty easy to care for but their tiered growth habit looks like something you’d need to spend hours pruning! Are you growing table dogwood? Do you have the variegated variety or the species plant? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you’d like to read more about the Cornus genus, why not add these guides to your reading list next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photo via Arbico Organics. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '176410929431717'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

[kihaku-gato]

Tulips, Mahonia, Pagoda Dogwood, & Siberian Iris

Cuddy Gardens June 1st