Question From: H. Coleman - Escalante, Utah, United States
Q: I have three red dogwood bushes, this is their third season. I noticed one was starting to turn black on a few branches in the winter. I assumed it had frozen. Can you please tell me what the cause is? Half of the bush is black and brittle. Thanks
A: Those black stems have developed stem wood blight. Remove infected stems. Disinfect your pruners after every cut. To avoid this problem and keep the brilliant red color cut out a third of your stems every spring. To rejuvinate cut back the entire shrub to about 10 inches before it leafs out. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy
