Dogwood Bush
Caring For The Dogwood Bush
The dogwood bush can be a nice addition to any yard because it displays beautiful colors throughout the year. It is normally used as a background plant but many people place these shrubs close to a pond or water, to double the enjoyment of the colors. The dogwood bush can make an excellent screening plant and they can also be used in shrub borders. There are 6 different species of dogwood bush or shrub and they all produce magnificent colors.
The stems on the dogwood plant are usually a burgundy color. There are also varieties that include colors like orange and yellow or even a rich red. But that isn’t the only unique thing about these plants. They are produce colorful blooms all year round. These small flowers have 5 petals that are heart shaped. They come in a variety of colors that include white, tan, yellow and shades of pink. The centers of these blooms can be a light green to yellow color and some varieties of this plant even produce fruit. This fruit is known to attract songbirds to your yard and they will keep returning to your property to eat the fruit. Because this plant is a perennial, the birds can enjoy it for many years to come.
Before you run out to purchase a dogwood bush, you should know that it is a tender perennial. This means that it will probably not make it through a cold winter. In fact, it cannot survive in temperatures that go below freezing for a long period of time. But if you do live in a warmer climate, you can easily grow these plants because they are not hard to take care of.
The dogwood bush prefers soil that contains alkaline. You can purchase a soil tester kit from your local gardening center to make sure that your soil has the proper PH balance. If your soil needs some extra help, you can purchase a fertilizer that will help to improve it. This particular plant will grow in just about any type of soil but you will see a noticeable improvement when you do use fertilizer.
If you are planting only 1 shrub, you should prepare a slight hill and place the plant in the middle of it. This plant loves water but the delicate root system can become damaged if water is allowed to saturate the roots. If you are planting a row of bushes, you can prepare raised rows, so that the water can drain way from the roots. You will only have to worry about this until the plants mature and the roots become stronger and more established.
These plants can reach up to 8 feet in height and they can also become 6 to 8 feet wide. Make sure to pace the plants apart if you plan on having more than one. Plant them 2 to 3 feet away from each other because they eventually grow in. If you do end up planting them too close together, carefully remove a few of the plants for even spacing.
You should place your dogwood bush in direct sunlight. Since this plant cannot live in temperatures that go below freezing, it needs extra sunlight and heat. Many types of flowering plants need a bit of shade to avoid scorching but this plant does not. It needs at least 6 full hours of sunlight a day.
If you live in a cooler climate, you can keep the plant indoors in a pot. But you have to give it ample time in sunlight. Make sure to place it in a window where it can receive direct sunlight. During the summer months, you can place the pot outside in your garden area.