PRUNE DOGWOODS TO KEEP SHAPE, BOOST COLOUR
Q I planted what I believe is a yellow dogwood in our front yard. It has become unruly, and it is difficult to clean out the grass (quack and other) in the root area. It also houses ants. I would like to dig the dogwood out and replace it with a decorative tree. Is it difficult to do, and would it be necessary to use Roundup or something similar to prevent rejuvenation? The tree is surrounded by a concrete curb about 10 feet in diameter.
A From the photo you enclosed, the problem with your dogwood is that it is in need of pruning. If you are willing to give it a prune you can turn it into a very attractive shrub and save yourself the work of having to remove it. Dogwoods need to be pruned yearly to help maintain their shape, because as you have seen they can become lanky and unruly. The yellow colour of the branches is a real bonus in the winter, when the colour pops in contrast against the white snow.
I apologize if I am sounding like a salesman here but I think your shrub could be a true focal point of your front yard. Prune the shrub in late winter or early spring. Remove any damaged or dead and dying branches yearly, but every three years prune off one-third of the oldest branches. The reasoning behind this is that the brightest yellow colour is on the newer branches. With your shrub, removing a third of the branches this year would result in a much more shapely plant and it might earn your approval once again.
If you are set on removing the dogwood it is a fairly large job. The roots of this plant are wide spreading, meaning that they will extend all the way to your concrete edging and likely beyond. Digging the plant out would have to be done in pieces because trying to remove the root ball in one piece would be impossible. You would not need to use Roundup unless the suckers become a problem, and that won’t happen if you remove the majority of the root system.
Q I read your article regarding mildew on garden plants. My problem with begonias has been the same for years. Later in the year (around the middle of August) my begonias always develop mildew that totally covers all the leaves and the plant soon dies. Would your solution be garden sulphur or bio-fungicides or something else? Your comments are very much appreciated.
A I too have problems with my begonias and powdery mildew. I do use garden sulphur spray to control the problem. The key to having success is persistence. One application is never enough. I repeat the spray weekly until I see results. That could mean three, four, or even five applications.
Q I have a very large cedar that was planted too close to the house and has now grown up to (and three feet past) the eaves. It really needs to be cut back but I want to save it, as it looks lovely in its spot. Can I do this job in the fall or should I wait until springtime? How much can I safely cut it back?
A The safe thing to do would be to wait until the spring to do this job. Cutting three feet off a cedar in the late fall is more risky than doing it in the spring. I would cut it back to a foot below the eaves, but in doing so I would try to shape the top as much as possible. Giving it a straight cut on the top would not look good.
I received the following email from one of my readers the other day: Good morning my gardening friend, just thought I would pass on some interesting info. I went out to the yard and discovered sawdust at the bottom of one of my beautiful Swedish aspens. Yikes. The dreaded borer! Thinking I had nothing to lose, I sprayed Dr. Doom residual spray (yellow can) into the borer holes. Guess what? My tree has fully recovered! Just saying ...
Gerald Filipski is a member of the Garden Writers of America. He is the author of Just Ask Jerry. Email your questions to filipskigerald@gmail.com. To read previous columns, go to edmontonjournal.com/filipski