What Time of Year to Plant Dogwood Trees

Planting Time

• The container-grown dogwoods can be planted at any time of year with regular watering applied prior to planting. Nursery-bought balled and burlapped trees or the bareroot tree are best planted during the dormant state, as suggested by the University of Georgia Extension. Dogwood trees are dormant between November and March. If you are propagating from seeds, plant seeds during late summer or early fall in warm soil. Delaying planting can take seeds up to two years to germinate.

Planting Site

• Select a site in an area of light shade that gets half a day of filtered sun. Being an understory tree, dogwoods are not adapted to areas of full, direct sun. The trees require well-drained soil to grow well. Check drainage by digging a 12-inch deep hole and filling it with water. In well-drained ground, the water should drain within 6 hours. In areas of poor drainage, plant high by creating a 4- to 6-inch high mound on the ground and planting the tree on this elevated site.

Planting Soil

• An acidic soil with a preferred pH of about 5.5 is best for growing dogwoods. Mark an area that is five times the diameter of the rootball. Dig the hole the same depth as the container. Prepare a backfill by mixing together one-third pine bark mulch with two-thirds of the original soil. Place tree in the center of the hole and fill with mixture. Do not plant very deep as dogwoods are shallow-rooted. Loosen and spread the roots of container-grown plants in planting hole. Remove the burlap of the burlapped trees before planting.

Mulch and Water

• Apply a 2- to 4-inch deep layer of organic mulch such as pine bark chips or pine needles over the root zone. This will conserve moisture and reduce weeds. Water trees regularly, soaking ground to a depth of at least 6 inches. Avoid using overhead sprinklers as excessive moisture on foliage promotes a number of foliar diseases.