Red-Twig Dogwood Tip Roots

Prune

• Prune the red-twig dogwood heavily in early spring. Remove old, thick stems completely, cutting them off at the shrub base. Trim all other stems down to a height of 3 to 4 inches. Give the shrub a balanced fertilizer in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This encourages the shrub to grow new healthy stems for pegging.

Stem Selection

• In the following spring, as soon as the soil warms and can be easily worked, select a long, healthy stem for pegging. An area of the stem 4 to 5 inches from the stem tip will be buried in the soil. Bend the stem gently over toward the ground as close to the shrub as possible. Do not bend it too sharply. The stem tip needs to continue to receive moisture and nutrients from the original shrub. Dig a 2-inch deep, 3- to 4-inch long trench where the stem meets the soil.

Pegging

• Use a sharp knife to remove a 1/2-inch-long piece of bark from the stem where it will be placed in the soil. Make sure there are 5 to 6 inches of stem tip above where the bark is removed. Remove the bark from the under side of the stem where new roots will grow. Be careful to remove only the bark and as little of the pith as possible. Moisture and nutrients must be able to flow past the wound to the tip of the stem. Coat the stripped section with rooting hormone. Bend the stem over until the area where the bark has been stripped is in the trench and several inches of stem tip protrude from the soil. Cover the stripped section of stem with 2 to 3 inches of soil, making sure the last 3 to 4 inches of stem tip are above ground. Place a small brick on top of the soil to hold the stem down. A length of heavy-gauge wire bent in a “U” may also be pushed into the soil above the stem to peg it down.

Water

• Water the stem several times each week or as often as necessary to keep the soil uniformly moist but not soggy. While the entire stem should still be receiving moisture and nutrients from the original shrub, a moist environment is required for new root production. Do not dig up the stem to check its progress. The stem and surrounding soil must be left undisturbed until late fall after the dogwood has dropped its leaves for the winter.

Separation

• The newly rooted stem may be removed from the original shrub and transplanted in late fall. However, if possible, it should be left until early spring. By early spring it will be well-rooted and mature enough to pull nutrients and moisture from the soil independently. Remove the new shrub by cutting the stem at the base of the original shrub. Lift the pegged section of stem from the soil gently with a garden fork or dirt shovel. Trim off the stem that was connected to the original shrub close to the new root system. Plant the new red-twig dogwood shrub in its new location. It can also be potted up and maintained with regular watering until a new location is selected.