Sick Dogwood Tree - Ask Extension
Hi, I am attaching pictures of my dogwood tree that hardly bloomed this year. At the other end of the bed, another tree bloomed beautifully. When I ...
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Sick Dogwood Tree #242634
Asked May 08, 2015, 7:47 AM EDT
Hi, I am attaching pictures of my dogwood tree that hardly bloomed this year. At the other end of the bed, another tree bloomed beautifully. When I took these pictures last week, the sick tree had only a few blooms but the branches still seemed green. The buds appeared dried up ( pic also attached). Did they just get hit by a hard frost or is something more serious happening? This week the tree is leafing out, so it is still alive.
Thanks for your help. Lisa Geisler, MG
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
Use a hand lens and tease open the dogwood bud to see if you can see anything unusual. From the information that you have sent, we cannot say with any certainty what is going on. As the tree leafs out, you will be able to see if any portions are dead. Remove any dead wood. Send additional photos if any other problems become evident. Dogwoods have relatively shallow root systems. Check for root damage. If something damaged the roots right before the tree was about to bloom it is possible that that kept it from blooming. You might watch for mildew problems. http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_images/programs/hgic/Publications/not_updated/hg12_IPM... vw
