Dogwood is a timelessly beautiful, classic, and beloved plant, that thrives all year round. As an ornamental tree, it offers us its beauty being in bloom in spring, while in autumn it creates a feast of colors, and in winter its famous delicious berries.
When To Fertilize Dogwood Trees?
The best months of the year to fertilize your Dogwood trees are March and July. If you use lawn fertilizer regularly in your yard, then healthy trees do not require more fertilizer. Full-size healthy trees do not require special feeding.
Fertilization should start in March and be repeated four months later. The rationale of this application is as follows: in the spring the fertilization will offer vitality and health to your plant, while its repetition late in the summer will prepare it for the hardships of winter.
At the same time, double fertilization on an annual basis will offer your plant all the necessary ingredients during the 12-month growing season.
If you skip the summer fertilization then use all the amount of fertilizer that corresponds to your tree. Otherwise, use half the amount, so as not to burn your plant.
What Type Of Fertilizer Should You Use On A Dogwood Tree?
Dogwood trees thrive ideally with the use of fertilizer in the ratio 12-4-8. “NPK” is the acronym that indicates the proportions of the 3 basic nutrients of a fertilizer.
More precisely, “N” indicates nitrogen, “P” indicates phosphorus, and “K” indicates potassium. These nutrients are determinants of a tree’s balance, and their proportions vary from plant to plant. Dogwoods in particular are in great need of nitrogen.
Let’s have a look at the effect of each of these 3 nutrients on the growth of a Dogwood tree.
- Nitrogen (N): The basic element of photosynthesis, leaf production, and development. Especially for deciduous trees, such as Dogwood, nitrogen is vital during the growing season.
- Phosphorus (P): The determining factor in the production of fruits and seeds, and the smooth growth of plant roots.
- Potassium (K): This nutrient is extremely useful for plants, such as Dogwoods, Cornus florida and Cornus Aurora.
In addition to choosing a fertilizer with high nitrogen content, it is important to decide whether the fertilizer to be used should be solid or liquid.
Liquid fertilizers act more directly, releasing easily and absorbing quickly it special ingredients into the soil. It is therefore preferred in emergencies.
How To Apply The Fertilizer?
You should not fertilize a tree that is less than one-year-old, as there is a great risk of burning it, especially at root level.
If the soil does not yield at all and your plant does not grow, prefer natural ways of nutritional support, with organic tea, diluted by 50%. For 2 meter tall plants, you can apply 2 ounces of fertilizer in the first application of March.
Repeat the same application, in the same quantities, 4 months later.
Before applying the fertilizer to mature trees, calculate 4oz (1/2 cup) fertilizer per inch (2.5 cm) of the trunk. If you still have acres entirely with this tree, apply roughly 3 ounces of fertilizer every 1.000 square feet (93 sq.m.).
How Often Should You Fertilize Dogwood Trees?
Dogwood is a tree that should ideally be fertilized as mentioned above, twice a year. The ideal month for the first application is March, followed by a repeated application in July.
Related article: How far from the house should you plant a dogwood tree? – GFL Outdoors