Plant Dogwood tree now or in Spring?

Hi, I just purchased Kousa Satomi Dogwood from Surrey's tree sale, I have two questions please.
1) It's 6ft tall in a 5 gallon planter, should I plant it now or wait till Spring?
2) If I wait, won't I have to worry about it freezing over winter? Keep it in garage?

Also, it doesn't look very good, not sure if that's what Dogwoods look like in Fall, I've never had one before, see attached pic....

Thanks.......

 

@monkeygirl good evening, dogwoods can be planted at any time, but Autumn and Spring is best. As you are in zone 6B it might be best to wait until Spring now. To over winter I would give it some protection but it does need some light, so a dark garge is not best IMO.
Regarding how it looks, this is normal as the leaves will brown and drop for Winter. It is a deciduous plant/ tree.
Once planted out it will do fine in the Winter months.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Acerholic, I forgot to change my zone, it's actually 8a, would that make a difference re planting it now?

 

Get it out of that pot and into the ground now, do not store until spring. Shake potting soil off beforehand and spread roots when placing in hole, refilling hole only with same soil that came out of hole.

Name is actually 'Miss Satomi'. It has a broad habit, so place yours where the spreading branches will have enough room for future growth.

 

You may get away with it now, but no later in 8A, but I would prefer early Autumn tbh (September) to allow the roots to establish before Winter.

 

Thanks Ron, I planted it. Yes Acerholic, I would have preferred Sept too, they had the tree sale too late in the year. Hopefully it's ok, I feel better about it in the ground than worrying about it in a pot for 4 mths. Only time will tell...I hope it's ok, I've wanted a pink dogwood forever, they're beautiful.

 

Do let the forum know next Spring how it turns out. Good luck!!

 

A Kousa dogwood should have no problem with a winter in Surrey, recently planted or otherwise. And if this one is well mulched now - something that should be standard practice with all woody plant installations anyway - that will have some protective effect in regard to frost penetration. In that the freezing has to get through the mulch first before it starts affecting what lies below.

 

One more question please, how much and often should it be watered now? If it doesn't rain for a few days, should I water it? (like now, it's been 3 days) Thanks, I've never planted this late before....

 

Visually inspect soil immediately around it to find out how moist it is.

 

Is it too late to plant out new perennials?

I agree w all that Ron has typed on the dogwood topic

See also the thread someone else posted - LINK above.

 

Well she's growing (yay) flowers are almost there. I'm happy, except it's crooked. So question: Should I dig it back up & fix ASAP, wait till after she's finished blooming or add another stake pushing straight. Thanks again!

 

I would hammer in a sturdy stake to the left of the tree shown in your second photo and pull (not push) the tree into a more vertical position. Be sure to use a tie that will not bite into the dogwood's tender bark. The stake could go about as far away as that trench you have dug around the tree so you don't injure roots. And, please avoid digging such a deep trench because, as the tree roots spread, you could cut them off just under the soil/lawn. If you must edge the lawn that way, you need to allow a greater radius around the trunk.

 

@Margot what does WSU prof say about staking if anything ?

For certain i agrée w your advice Margot - it has to be gentle remediation and no way would I dig it up !

Remember getting braces on teeth as a kid? Didn’t happen overnight

The tree looks good and likely should have had a little support on Day One but now is the time

I note in the photos of your nice garden front lawn that you have mulched around your tree - be careful not to get the mulch too high around the trunk - in my armchair opinion

I am no arborist that’s for sure - and I recall reading years ago I think in Fine Gardening about longterm use of tree stakes (the tree doesn’t learn to self stabilize for lack of botanical terminology ) To Stake or Not to Stake - FineGardening

There are special sponge tie tapes that one can use temporarily on shrubs and small trees - look at Lee Valley or maybe you are near a full service knowledgeable garden nursery - one often sees similar material around city sidewalk subdivision trees so you could take detail pix to show staff

I am sure there are arbor people here with more info, and I hope Margot will post a link to WSU prof and plant myths blog -

In the end - I don’t think I would dig the tree esp right now (approaching hot dry) or (in my laissez-faire painterly garden method) ever.

 

I am a bit hesitant to pass on the WSU recommendations about tree staking because of all the push-back I got the last time I did. Hey - I'm only the messenger!

Perhaps a misunderstanding was created that newly-planted trees should never be staked when, in fact, some do for a short period of time. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott (and the Garden Professors) who try to educate the public with scientifically-supported gardening advice say that if it is deemed necessary for a newly planted tree to be staked (especially a bare-root tree) all supports should be removed after no more than 2 years, preferably, one.

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/staking.pdf

Related article: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/thigmomorphogenesis.pdf

 

Good morning - I am looking more closely at your two photos — what is the green « tape » around the tree?

Is there a stake close in to the trunk?

One consideration is if you have a steady prevailing wind, then use your temporary stakes - a good example of sloping trees In prevailing winds is so obvious in what remains of orchards along the highway west of Keremeos BC — the entire orchard slants toward Cawston

An inexpensive practical material is pantyhose stockings fr dollar shop - make sure the material is as wide as possible so it’s not binding your tree

Again - the concerns described in article posted by @Margot are valid - and the same prof wrote about the old myth of amending planting holes (RonB gave advice last autumn to you, above)

 

Yes there is, I thought I should leave it over the winter seeing how I just planted it and it's pretty skimpy. I was going to take it out now in Spring.

EDIT: So I just took out the stake, I don't believe it, it's not leaning now. The trunk is definately not straight up & down, but it looks straight. It's been in ground for 7 mths and the root ball still moves, now I'm afraid it's not deep enough...geez, one thing after another......

Not sure if you can tell in new pic without stake, but I sure can.

 

That looks great and lines up w house across street

And you have blossoms!

QUESTION - do you know which edge concrete you have on your lawn edge - I can see in photos

I ask cuz I am desperate for lawn edge and it has to be durable

And I need it carried down a slope of stairs - so not too heavy

The lawn slopes in down to the garden flower border so I want the edge to stick up a few inches ABOVE lawn edge then string trimmer (weed eater) thé edge against concrete

I will start a new thread so as not to mix it up with your dogwood question - thank you

 

Question again, not knowing exactly what the leaves should look like on Dogwood, I'm hoping that it's normal for their leaves to look droopy. I've googled images but still can't tell. Is someone familiar with this tree and it's leaves? I feel like I should be watering it, but the leaves might be normal for this Dogwood. Help please, would hate to lose it, it's blooming beautifully for it's first year. My cousin only got 2 blooms on hers, planted same time in Nov. I also wonder if I should water it once a week anyway because it's so new (if it doesn't rain that week?) Thanks again!

PS: PS: I read not to fertilize it first year because it might not bloom, should I fertilize it now?

 

Leaves look as expected for 'Satomi'.

 

Oh good! Thanks so much, I needed to hear that. Now I know.......