How to prune dogwoods for brightly-coloured stems year after year

With their firework hues and structural appeal, cornus (aka dogwoods) are more popular than ever. So, how to prune dogwoods if you want them to look their colourful best with each passing year?

One of the easiest ways to add colour to a winter garden, dogwoods are often counted among the best winter flowers that bloom at Christmas in spite of the fact they're not grown for their blooms but for their dazzling winter stems.

While they're guaranteed to breathe life into your outdoor space well after the first frosts dogwoods need some love if you want them to keep doing their thing. This means, yes, you need to learn how to prune them like a pro.

'Dogwoods are very easy to grow and provide stunning winter colour to break up the grey sky. Still, it's the stems that provide the colour, so pruning once a year is advisable if you want to keep them vibrant,' says Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.

Noting that this is a job to be done in the springtime, Morris adds that dogwoods 'do not need to be pruned every year, and can easily go two to three years without being pruned'.

'The only difference with leaving them is the colourful stems will fade and they may become a bit messy,' he says.

What you will need

Unlike some big gardening jobs, you won't need much in the way of equipment when you set to learning how to prune dogwoods; a pair of secateurs, obviously, will be needed for the cutting itself. And you'll likely want a trug or bag to collect your clippings in, too.

Finally, be sure to wear a pair of gardening gloves, for safety's sake!

How to prune dogwoods guide

Now that you have all of your equipment to hand, it's time to dive into our How To Prune Dogwoods 101 Guide in earnest.

Flit your eyes downward, then, for the lowdown on what to do.

1. Time it right

The best time to prune dogwoods is while it's dormant in the early spring, just before the leaves appear. This allows the plant to use its resources in its roots for regrowth, and allows you to enjoy those colourful stems unhampered over the winter, too.

2. Thin things out

When determining how to prune dogwoods, Morris says it is 'advisable to prune crossing, dead, diseased or damaged stems right back to the ground'.

You should also thin some stems out to provide airflow and structure.

3. Or prune right back

Of course, you might prefer to cut the whole plant back.

'If you want those amazing stems to leave for at least two years (ideally three) to establish themselves, then prune down to 5-10 cm from the ground every two years to get coloured winter stems,' says award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore.

Zoe Claymore

Zoe Claymore is a multi award-winning garden designer based in London. She focuses on creating outdoor places with emotional connection and ecological integrity for her private and commercial clients.

The plant experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are in firm agreement with Zoe, noting that 'all growth should be cut back hard to a stubby low framework or to ground level [...] every couple of years if you wish'.

4. Get mulching

The final step when learning how to prune dogwoods is simple enough; show them some love once you've finished the job.

'Make sure you've mulched around the base of the plant with some well rotted organic matter,' advises Morris.

The RHS, meanwhile, adds that you should 'apply a balanced general-purpose fertiliser at 70g per square metre each spring to support stem and flower growth'.

FAQs

When should dogwood be pruned?

If you're wondering when dogwood should be pruned, it's best to set to work in the early springtime (from late march to mid-April), just as the new growth is developing. This should give you ample time to enjoy their vibrant stems over the winter!

How to prune cornus alba dogwood?

Young plants will need a year or two to establish themselves before you start hard-pruning, but then you can cut them down to around 5-7cm every two or three years.

'If you are going to prune back the whole dogwood, this can be done at the same time of year (early March ideally), again prune with sharp, clean secateurs all the way back down to the ground,' adds Morris Hankinson of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Now that you know how to prune dogwoods, you can settle back and enjoy all of their bright colour over the winter in peace. Just be sure to grab a pair of secateurs once spring rolls around, as you won't want to miss out on having your cornus looks its very best next year.