Dogwood demise - Ask Extension
I have lost two older (25+ and 40+ years) dogwoods in the past 3 years. I do not think they were exactly the same type. They both went gradually over ...
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Dogwood demise #852392
Asked October 06, 2023, 1:33 PM EDT
I have lost two older (25+ and 40+ years) dogwoods in the past 3 years. I do not think they were exactly the same type. They both went gradually over 2-3 seasons, without noticeably abnormal leaves or bugs that I could see. I would love to plant more dogwood on our property, but am worried there may be a disease. Please advise, thanks
Washtenaw County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
If the trees are still on site, it might be helpful to consult an arborist to see if they can find signs of disease. Some diseases are soil-born, and in those cases, you would not want to plant the new dogwood where those others were planted. Other diseases are not soil-born. Without knowing what killed the trees it is hard to know. It is best to consult an ISA-certified arborist- find one here: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist. I am including a link to an article that summarizes some of the most common diseases that affect dogwood trees.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Visual%20Guides/Flowering%20Dogwood%20Problems.pdf
My recommendation to you is to go to a reputable nursery and look for a cultivar that is resistant to some of the more common diseases. The following article discusses some of these, but again, without knowing what disease caused the death of the former trees it is just a matter of best-guessing.
http://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-06.pdf
An important consideration for any new addition to a landscape is site compatibility for the plant. Every plant has optimal growing conditions that include hours of sunlight, soil moisture, etc. The fact that you successfully grew dogwoods for so long would indicate that the site was good, but it might be worth looking at it more intentionally if you want to replant dogwood. Dogwoods are under-story trees, so they do prefer afternoon shade. They prefer slightly acidic soil high in organic matter that is well drained but not too dry or too wet. Taking a soil test is a good first step to assessing a site. MSU offers inexpensive tests that are a good way to determine organic matter content, pH and nutrient content of your soil. Find out more here:
https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/get-started
I hope you find this helpful.
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
If the trees are still on site, it might be helpful to consult an arborist to see if they can find signs of disease. Some diseases are soil-born, and in those cases, you would not want to plant the new dogwood where those others were planted. Other diseases are not soil-born. Without knowing what killed the trees it is hard to know. It is best to consult an ISA-certified arborist- find one here: https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist. I am including a link to an article that summarizes some of the most common diseases that affect dogwood trees.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Visual%20Guides/Flowering%20Dogwood%20Problems.pdf
My recommendation to you is to go to a reputable nursery and look for a cultivar that is resistant to some of the more common diseases. The following article discusses some of these, but again, without knowing what disease caused the death of the former trees it is just a matter of best-guessing.
http://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-or-w-06.pdf
An important consideration for any new addition to a landscape is site compatibility for the plant. Every plant has optimal growing conditions that include hours of sunlight, soil moisture, etc. The fact that you successfully grew dogwoods for so long would indicate that the site was good, but it might be worth looking at it more intentionally if you want to replant dogwood. Dogwoods are under-story trees, so they do prefer afternoon shade. They prefer slightly acidic soil high in organic matter that is well drained but not too dry or too wet. Taking a soil test is a good first step to assessing a site. MSU offers inexpensive tests that are a good way to determine organic matter content, pH and nutrient content of your soil. Find out more here:
https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/get-started
I hope you find this helpful.
Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.
Ruth
