The State of Virginia has adapted the dogwood flowering tree as its State tree,
and many cities in America have named themselves 'The Dogwood City.' Atlanta,
Georgia holds a spring festival every April to coincide with the flowering of
the of the dogwood trees in Atlanta, Georgia. The Dogwood Festival has continued
for 70 years, successfully attracting visitors for events such as outdoor
musical extravaganzas in Piedmont Park and the attraction of many artists to
display and sell to those visitors who wish to buy pottery, sculpture, oil
paintings, and photographs.Flowering dogwood trees, Cornus florida, were
discovered in the South by William Bartram in 1773; these trees were beautifully
described in his exploratory book, Travels (page 399). Near Mobile, Alabama.
Bartram encountered a grove of dogwood trees that aggressively covered an area 9
miles long. The dogwood trees were growing so thick that sunlight was
practically excluded, and almost all other plant life was excluded except for an
occasional white flowering Magnolia grandiflora. The land on which the white
flowering dogwood tree grew was level soil that was loose with a humid black
organic mould on the surface with dogwood roots growing into a stiff yellowish
clay. The limbs of the flowering dogwood trees were interlocking and spread
horizontally at a tree height of 12 feet. The vast interlocking limbs of the
dogwood trees covered the entire area as a shade tree that cooled the camping
area used by William Bartram. After exploring for another seventy miles, Bartram
wrote ?spacious groves of this fine flowering tree, which must, in the spring
season, when covered with blossoms, present a most pleasing scene; when at the
same time a variety of other sweet shrubs display their beauty.The white
flowering dogwood is a native tree to the forests of America and has been
exported worldwide as a seedling dogwood and as a grafted white dogwood also
flowering in pink and red. The pink flowering dogwood is available to buy as a
seed grown tree, but the most desirable, stable, predictable pink dogwood trees
are nursery grafted trees. Red flowering dogwood trees are not available as
seedling trees, but as grafted cultivars, such as the Cherokee Chief, red
flowering dogwood tree.The dogwood tree, Cornus florida, is very adaptable in
America, ranging from Massachusetts to Florida, and the tree is generally grown
as an understory tree 12-15 feet tall, although some old specimens of 40 feet
tall are recorded. The flowering dogwood tree is perfect for planting and
growing in a small garden or in large parks and as big landscape specimen trees.
Dogwood has the unusual quality of growing well when planted beneath pine trees,
where only a few other shrubs such as redbud trees, azalea plants, and camellia
shrubs can compete successfully, because of the dense root pine tree competition
near the surface of the ground.The flowering of dogwood trees begins in early
spring and the flowering lasts 2 to 3 weeks. Oval berries of bright red are
formed following the blooms and persist on the trees into fall and winter after
leaves are shed, and until they are eaten by wildlife and birds. In the fall the
dogwood trees are covered in brilliant red leaves that change to purple. The
fallen dogwood leaves are very fragile and usually easily deteriorate without
raking. Flowering dogwood trees will grow well underneath oak tree shade as well
as under pine trees, but the dogwood tree remarkably will grow well in full sun.
Dogwood trees are well adapted to stress and are very tolerant of dry weather.
Dogwood trees are tolerant of cold weather, and thrive in USDA zones 5 through
9.Every landscape gardener appreciates the spring blooms of the white flowering
dogwood trees as a background companion tree for flowering redbud trees or in a
combination of flowering azalea shrubs in colors of red, pink, purple, or
white.Dogwood trees can be propagated by growing from the seed or by rooting the
cutting, but the best dogwood cultivars are grown from grafted trees. The Cloud
Nine, flowering, white dogwood tree produces very large (hand-size) blooms,
especially in the juvenile stage. The Weaver's Select, white, flowering dogwood
tree is grafted and can produce a flower 6 inches wide.The dogwood tree has been
rumored to have been the wood from which the crucifixion cross of Jesus Christ
was made in the year 33 AD. This rumor is ridiculous in several respects: first,
there is not Biblical record of dogwood trees in the Scriptures of the Old
Testament Bible or the New Testament. Most plant references in the Bible are
very vague except for a few references to the date palm tree, olive tree,
pomegranate trees, fig tree, and grape vines. The identity of those plants and
trees is obvious, because of their fruits that are produced, but accurate plant
identity could not be done easily until Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish physician,
suggested rules on naming plants in the early 1700's.There are many species of
dogwood trees and shrubs, but it is unlikely that any of the Mideastern species
of dogwood trees grew trunks large enough to shape into a crucifixion cross. The
wood of the dogwood tree is so hard and dense that nails driven into the wood
would split the wood. That tree definitely could not have been the North
American dogwood tree, Cornus florida, since that tree did not grow in Israel at
the time of Jesus Christ.Perhaps the reason for the rumor is that the dogwood
tree was the wood of the crucifixion cross is the fact that the four white
bracts (flower) are shaped like a cross. This resemblance of a white
cross-shaped flower occurs in innumerable species of flowers of trees and, of
course, should not be given any weight of evidence of the dogwood tree wood
being the substance of crucifixions by the Jewish High Priest and the Roman
rulers.About the Author: Patrick A. Malcolm, owner of TyTy Nursery, has an M.S.
degree in Biochemistry and has owned and operated TyTy Nursery for over three
decades.
- Planting White Pine Trees White pines. Whenever I think of white
pines, I remember hunting when I was a kid and standing near trees that were
giants. Now every pine tree I plant, I can see those days in the deep woods and
those grand trees and hope someone else will have that same enjoyment. These
trees will help you too in establish a desired vision to your landscape. Beyond
their size, white pines also fill important ecological niches. They grow across
broad ranges of forest and urban conditions, finding much of North America to
their liking. White Pine trees need protection from deer, disease, insects, and
competing weeds and shrubs. The better your weed control the better your trees
will grow. When seedlings are planted, it best to plant them with large spacings
to allow more light to the plant. If these trees are planted in shade, they tend
to be more open. White pines are used around new construction because they
perform in a wide range of soil conditions. If you have compacted soil from new
construction, we suggest smaller trees of 3-5' height. All people handling
seedlings and small trees need to help with the life support of your plants.
Seedlings are like fish out of water and need care which is often overlooked
between the time the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means
higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect seedling
from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as physical damage. Seedlings
are living and should be handled carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat
trees carefully and plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for
planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from lining out the
seedlings to potting them up if I realize that the soil conditions will not be
right for an extended Length of time. If planting must be delayed a few days,
keep the plants in a cold, protected place with air circulation between the
trees. Keep the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees need
water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn't damp, water the trees and allow
the excess water to drain. In cool, damp weather, the biggest threat to these
trees is from mold. Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either
restricting water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at
regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce temperature and air
movement around the seedlings. Windy days can dry out seedlings so consider
waiting for calmer weather. Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE
PLANTERS will make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good
planting conditions. HOW TO PLANT Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy
with little or no wind. If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The
soil should be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed.
Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root seedlings should
be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with plenty of moist material packed
around the roots to keep them damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept
refrigerated or packed in ice or snow. Don't freeze the trees. Competition from
weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to survival and growth of
seedlings. Choose areas free from this competition or clear at least a
three-foot square bare spot before planting. Seedlings should not be planted
under the crown of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush.
Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic material such as
leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to expose mineral soil. If organic
matter gets into the planting hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots
will dry out when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure
the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If roots are curled
or bunched up, the tree will not be able to take up water correctly, will often
weaken and die, or may blow down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree
out of your planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed, the
fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling shoots and roots
lose water to air, roots require more protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have
stomata (close-able openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings
to help reduce water loss. If the roots appear dry they are probably dead. Now I
know you are thinking,"I will place them in a bucket of water and store them
there until planting". This will not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a
couple of minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen. Remember to
remove the container before planting a containerized tree. A helpful hint to all
those new gardeners just starting is to remember to always plant green side up.
Hold the seedling in place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight,
fully extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in the hole.
Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots. Tamp with hands or with
your heel. Don't crush the roots by jumping up and down around the seedling like
there is a snake curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more
soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is not firmly packed
around the roots, there will be air pockets that can dry out the roots, and the
seedlings may be weakly anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up
then have the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of
fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not generally
necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing will help you grow a more
valuable crop. I have tried to get more production from a limited area by over
planting and then thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting ....
digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion of the crop.
Avoid these tree planting errors: Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting
too deep Air pockets Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting
trees that are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting over
rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING
PLANTING Check periodically to be sure that brush, grass and other vegetation is
kept under control by mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these
treatments. Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control adviser before
using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in application of
chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your trees will help you to detect signs
of insects, diseases or other problems. Appearances also help sell your product.
Look for foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of poor
health. It is easier to take successful corrective action if the problem is
detected early. Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You
probably won't need to water more frequently than every 7-10 days. Give your
trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the soil dry out before the next
watering. This encourages the roots to grow down in search of water. Frequent,
shallow watering encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more
dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be a major cause of
damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are
the most frequent source of damage. In many states you may have to call your
game commission and get their recommendations on legal methods to protect your
crop. In our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer
that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away
from your seedlings. Over the years we have lost more trees to mice than any
other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost
more seedlings and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and
rabbits combined. You can see other articles written by Bill Hirst about trees,
plants, and shrubs at: http://www.zone5trees.com
http://seedlingsrus.com/Arborvitae.html
http://seedlingsrus.com/FreeFencing.html http://seedlingsrus.com/Winter
http://zone5trees.com/Hedges http://zone5trees.com/PlantingInstructions.html
http://zone5trees.com/ProfitsGrowingTrees.html About the Author Bill Has been
raising and selling trees for 45 years near Doylestown Pa. and has two web sites
http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.zone5trees.com
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