| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | When you slip that bud under the bark of a compatible |
| You are welcome to use this article on your website | | | | seedling, it will grow the following spring just as if it |
| or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is, | | | | were still on the parent plant, with all of the qualities of |
| including the contact information at the end. Website | | | | the desired variety. Almost all fruit bearing and |
| URLs must be active links. You are welcome to use | | | | ornamental trees are grown this way. |
| this article with an affiliate link, | | | | Just make a "T" shaped cut in the bark of the seedling. |
| Flowering Dogwood trees can be easily grown from | | | | A horizontal cut about ¼" long, with a vertical |
| seed. However 99.9999% of the seedlings that sprout | | | | downward cut about ½" long. The two cuts should |
| will be Cornus Florida, which is White Flowering | | | | intersect at the top of the "T". Don’t cut into the |
| Dogwood. It doesn’t matter if you collect the | | | | cambium tissue, just slice the bark and open it up |
| seeds from a White Dogwood or a Pink Dogwood, | | | | slightly with your knife or razor blade. Now you are |
| the seedlings are likely to be white. | | | | ready to remove the bud from the bud stick. |
| The only predictable way to grow a Pink Dogwood, | | | | First clip off and discard the leaf from the bud that you |
| Red Dogwood, or one of the beautiful Dogwoods with | | | | are about to remove. When you remove the leaf, |
| variegated leaves, is to bud or graft the desired variety | | | | leave the stem attached to the bud stick, just remove |
| onto a White Dogwood seedling. That’s why | | | | the leaf itself. The stem makes a nice little handle to |
| the botanical name for Pink Dogwood is Cornus Florida | | | | hold on to. To remove the bud from the bud stick just |
| Rubra. Cornus means Dogwood, Florida indicates | | | | cut into the bark and under the bud, it should pop off |
| White, Rubra indicates Red or Pink. Cornus Florida | | | | easily. Again, don’t cut into the cambium tissue, |
| Rubra indicates Pink Dogwood grown on White | | | | but make sure you are under the bark so you |
| Dogwood rootstock. | | | | don’t damage the bud. Along with the bud you |
| Between budding and grafting, budding is the most | | | | will have a small piece of bark shaped like a tiny |
| common technique used in the nursery industry. | | | | banana peel, and the stem from the leaf. |
| Grafting is usually done in the late winter months when | | | | Visit this page for photos of this complete process: |
| the plants are dormant. When you graft a plant you | | | | Holding the bud by its handle (the stem) slide it into the |
| remove a small branch (4 to 6 inches) from the | | | | "T" shaped cut you made on the seedling. Make sure |
| desired variety, trim the end of the branch to expose | | | | you put it in right side up. The stem and the leaf should |
| the tissue under the bark and then trim a taper on the | | | | protrude through the slit, and the stem should be |
| end. You then trim the seedling in such a way to | | | | pointing toward the sky at an angle. Push the bud all |
| match and receive the branch you are grafting on to it. | | | | the way down into the slit by catching the bark, (not |
| Timing, temperature, and humidity are all critical to the | | | | the bud) with the tip of your knife. |
| success of the procedure, which is usually done in a | | | | Now cut a rubber band so that it is no longer a loop |
| greenhouse. | | | | and wrap it around the seedling to close the opening |
| Budding is much easier, and does not have to be done | | | | so dirt, water, air, and insects can’t get in. Make |
| in a controlled environment. Most budding is done later | | | | a wrap below the bud, and a few wraps above the |
| in the summer when the bark on the seedling slips | | | | bud. Use a rubber band approx. ¼" wide, and be |
| easily. That means that when a cut is made in the | | | | careful not to wrap too close to the bud, nor too tight. |
| bark of the seedling it can be easily pulled away from | | | | You don’t want to strangle the seedling, it needs |
| the tissue layer under the bark. This tissue is known as | | | | to be healthy and happy so the new bud will bond to |
| the cambium layer. Here in the north Crabapples and | | | | the cambium layer. Leave the rubber band on until |
| other fruits are usually ready to bud around mid to late | | | | early spring, at which time you should remove it, and |
| July, while Dogwoods are not ready until late August. | | | | clip off the top of the seedling just above the bud. As |
| Unlike grafting where you use a small branch to attach | | | | the plant comes out of dormancy the bud will begin to |
| to the seedling, when you bud you insert a single bud | | | | grow into a new branch just as if it is still attached to |
| under the bark. Budding is usually done down low on | | | | the parent plant, except that now it is going to grow |
| the seedling, very close to the soil. You can bud up | | | | upright and form the stem of a tree. |
| higher, but any new growth that appears below that | | | | When this new growth reaches a height of 3 to 4 |
| bud must be removed because it will be identical to the | | | | feet, clip the tip off, this will force it to start putting on |
| rootstock and not the desired variety. | | | | lateral branches. Once these lateral branches are 18" |
| The budding process is quite simple. Just clip a branch | | | | long or so, you can remove all the growth from the |
| from the tree of the desired variety, this is known as a | | | | stem below where the lateral branches start. Now the |
| bud stick because it has many buds that can be used | | | | plant should look like a beautiful little tree. And that |
| for budding. The buds can be found at the base of | | | | makes you the proud parent! |
| each leaf. Look closely where the leaf emerges from | | | | With all of that said, today it is possible to grow Pink |
| the branch and you will see a very small bud. In the fall | | | | Dogwoods by rooting cuttings under intermittent mist, |
| when the tree goes dormant the leaf will fall off, and | | | | however, it is tricky, and my few attempts have failed. |
| bud will remain. The following spring the bud will grow | | | | ??? |
| into a new branch. | | | | |