Knowledgebase

When's the Best Time to Fertilize a Dogwood Tree? #865680

Asked April 23, 2024, 11:45 PM EDT

Dear Sirs, We have a large 50 year old pink dogwood tree in our front yard. Compared to others in the neighborhood, the amount of blooms on it is pretty sparse. There's grass underneath it, but we don't put any fertilizer or Weed & Feed on it. We'd like to encourage more blossoms. When does the tree set its blooms so we can pair our fertilizing with that? What is the best type of fertilizer to use? We've asked several experts at Portland Nursery this question and get different answers from different people. Thank you ahead-of-time!

Multnomah County Oregon

Expert Response

Thank you for your questions.  The recommended time to fertilize any plant is whenever it is putting on new growth, especially foliage.  So, that would have been late winter/early spring.  Here is an article explaining the several reasons that trees don't flower:  https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-and-shrubs-failing-flower/

This article has recommendations for fertilizers which meet the needs of dogwood trees:  https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/dogwood/

I hope these are helpful.  Good luck!
An Ask Extension Expert Replied April 24, 2024, 3:22 PM EDT

Loading ...