how to pamper a Kousa Dogwood

14 years ago

I planted two 5-6' balled and burlapped Kousa Dogwood about 5 years ago. One of them died, the other is living, but has yet to bloom, and really hasn't grown much either. I do think it is the dwarf variety, but I expected some major horizontal growth by now and some nice blooming.If memory serves, it was quite root bound when we planted it, and I worked hard to loosen and spread the roots.

I'm about ready to yank it, but thought I'd ask here if you think I could pamper it into some growth.

Location:

Sheltered from Northwest Winds by gigantic blue spruce. Two very old maples are just south, but the Kousa was placed so that it wouldn't be exactly under the limbs of the Maples, hopefully to avoid root challenges by the Maples. The Kousa gets full morning sun from the East, shaded by the Maples during the midday and probably gets some low rays of late afternoon sun from the west.

I have clay soil 4-5' down, then a high water table with sand. It's planted in the lawn, which we do not fertilize or use pesticides of any sort.

What's the growth problem here? Could I have one of those diseased ones? Should I try fertilizing now?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Embothrium
14 years ago
Somebody may have to examine site and specimen in person to be able to come up with anything specific. Does the tree roll its leaves in summer?
0
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
The site sounds very good. Good light and shade combo and protection. Some planting questions are: Was it planted too deep and was the hole dug in a wide dish shape? How well anchored in the ground is it today, that is, can you rock it back and forth?

tj
0
Related Discussions
pruning young kousa dogwood
Q
Comments (4)
This is a very old post. I'm wondering if you're still living at this same location? I have two dogwoods. One is a Cornus Kousa like yours. I've done some research about pruning Kousa dogwoods and the advice I read said NOT to prune in the early spring or summer because the tree will be vulnerable to dogwood borer. Apparently they are attracted to the exposed inner wood of the tree and will lay eggs in it. It's the only real pest the Kousa has, so do wait. Some people get away with it and therefore think it's okay to prune whenever their tool is in their hand, but I don't like to tempt fate. The Kousa I have is a clump variety with three equal-sized trunks coming from the ground. Last year I noticed the leaves on one of the trunks looked pale. I was dismayed and worried when I examined the trunk these pale leaves grew from and saw that a lot of the bark had come off. This year to my surprise, all the leaves on that branch look fine. Of course the bark is still missing in lots of areas, but the leaves growing from this trunk look fine. I have no idea what happened. I'm just glad that it seems okay. To make a long story short, don't prune your dogwood till late winter, very early spring. It's not worth the risk. If you're still at the same address when you wrote back your dogwood, please write back and let us know how the Kousa you wrote about is doing.
...See More
A couple questions about kousa dogwoods
Q
Comments (35)
Wow--thank you everyone for the suggestions! I did call the Lake County nursery about their "Biblical series" after Sue mentioned the "Galilean." The man there was obviously knowledgable about the trees since he grows them (in zone 5) and these particular trees are hardy to zone 4. I think I'm going to go with a variety called "Prophet" (similar to Galilean, but with smaller bracts.) Samzan (as another had suggested has variated leaves--which I'm not as partial to.) It really is amazing to me how a "dogwood" can be so many things. Is it an American Dogwood, or a Japanese? If it's a Japanese, there are a hundred or so varieties to choose from to suit your needs. How big do you want the flowers to bloom? How big do you want the flowers to be? How disease resistant? So many factors to look at before choosing. I didn't realize going in that there are actually different cultivars of the kousa. No one at the local nurseries ever mentioned that---it was simply: Here's a kousa, and here's a florida. Which one do you prefer? Thanks again for sharing all of your knowledge here---I have learned so much from you all.
...See More
will my Kousa dogwood be ok?
Q
Comments (2)
A kousa in the heat of late summer will typically fold and droop its leaves - it's a reaction to the heat and to conserve moisture. Trees need water just as well as any other plant does in dry conditions, some more than others. You aren't doing your kousa any favors by keeping it thirsty - they are not considered particularly drought tolerant and a periodic deep watering at the root zone would improve its appearance considerably. Trees exposed to continual stress from very dry conditions are far more prone to other problems, like pest and disease issues and winter dieback.
...See More
Cornus Kousa Dogwood white flowering
Q
Comments (18)
Odds are she had a Saucer Magnolia which are a little more troublesome. I think all trees have their issues though. If you can meet their cutural requirements you don't have to worry as much about the diseases and pests. Magnolias will provide a deeper shade...it would still take some time. Merrill bloomed earlier than Leonard and Royal Star, but the two latter selections don't get very big (well over 20 years maybe). I never had "slimey" flowers on any of magnolias...they did get damaged (browned up) one year from an early frost. Honestly I'm a sucker for Magnolias as I think they have some of the most attractive foilage and branching (winter silouette as well). I'd still try to get a Cornus kousa if you can work it in a spot with good soil/moisture. Interesting branching, nice wine red fall color and don't forgot the flowers! Minors has 'Wolf Eyes'...pink fall color was quite stunning.
...See More
suel41452
14 years ago
I wonder if your 4b zone be the problem - most Kousas are for zones 5-8. If it is a generic, seed-grown kousa - I bought one of those and it took many (around 7) years before it bloomed for me in zone 7.
0
Mary4b
Original Author
14 years ago
I do recall that the dead one did seem to roll its leaves a bit...I had never seen a Kousa before, and I thought those leaves looked a bit funny, but wasn't sure. I will see what happens when it leafs out...and I am going to go check it to see how secure it is. I can't recall how exactly we dug that hole...I had a young man helping me, and he has been known to occasionally cut corners. Can't remember if I left him to his own devices, or if I helped with the actual planting. I do know that I loosened the roots, though.
Should I consider digging it up after all these years?
0
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
No, I wouldn't dig it up, just trying to cover possible reasons for slow growth. Flowering should come eventually, though the cold may kill buds some years. Especially late freezes. How have leaves looked? Have they been healthy?

tj
0

how to pamper a Kousa Dogwood

Comments (5)

Embothrium

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

Related Discussions

suel41452

Mary4b
Original Author

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

how to pamper a Kousa Dogwood

Comments (5)

Embothrium

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

Related Discussions

suel41452

Mary4bOriginal Author

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Mary4b
Original Author