Re: Re: Pagoda dogwood

Cathy,
All of what Marge and Donna have said is true, and I can add a little
more, but don't give up. I'm in Zone 5a, usually neutral to alkaline
soil clayey but I reallllly love dogwoods, and prefer C. florida to the
others - just personal preference. After you obtain a good healthy young
tree from a reputable source as previously described, you also need to
position it well. I placed my first one in the front lawn on a tiny bit
of a slope for better drainage. This is the east side of the house, so
the house provides protection from winter winds. It is not grown as an
understory tree, but when the sun is at its hottest it is on the other
side of the house. When establishing the dogwood, water can be critical.
It must get the moisture it needs, but should not be overwatered. Too
many dogwoods get root rot from overwatering while trying to get
established - often owing to the bathtub effect sometimes created during
planting. Once established, they'll do fine. Don't let it get stressed,
provide water during drought periods. Stressed Dogwoods are prone to
anthracnose, and then it can be all downhill. My white one is quite
happy after 13 years. And I have a pink one not far from it.


Kitty

-------Original Message-------
From: Marge Talt <mtalt@hort.net>
Sent: 05/21/03 02:26 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Pagoda dogwood

> 
> I don't know about Pagodas, Cathy, but Cornus florida is one of those
trees whose provenance makes a difference.  For instance, if I were
to send you seed from the trees in my garden, it is most likely that
they would not prove hardy in yours although the tree is native into
the midwest.

So, where your local nurseries get their trees is an issue - and
where the seeds that grew them came from.  Most nurseries buy from
wholesalers who buy from growers all over the map.  If you could find
a C. florida growing well in your area and get some seed, most likely
the progeny would flourish for you.  Seed is not difficult to
germinate.  It needs to be fresh, cleaned of the red covering (a
thumbnail is good for this) and have a min. 140 day cold
stratification, which can be accomplished in the fridge or by
planting outside in the fall and protecting from rodents and
squirrels with some wire hardware cloth.

I would also suspect that your soil is on the alkaline side, which is
why rhodies do not do well - and possibly another reason you've had
bad luck with C. florida; it prefers a soil on the acid side.  They
are also understory trees (my woods is full of them), and if you are
trying to grow it in full sun, it will be more likely to be stressed.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: cathy carpenter <cathyc@rnet.com>
> 
> How do Pagodas hold up in our climate? I've always wanted one, but 
> dogwoods do not seem to do well in my area (dogwoods and
rhododendrons 
> are the only shrubs/trees that nurseries will not guarantee). They
do 
> alright in town, but out here in the county....put it this way - I 
> planted four Cornus florida, lost three, and the fourth is clinging
to 
> life by its root hairs.
> Cathy, west central IL, z5b
> On Tuesday, May 20, 2003, at 08:10 AM, Cersgarden@aol.com wrote:

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> 

If you have weeds, you don't have enough plants.

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