I planted a two foot bare rooter this spring. Despite spending a month in a pot on my porch the little guy has grown very well, probably doubled in size. The general habit of my tree and the one I saw at the Missouri Botanical Garden seems to be low branching. Being out in the front yard my life will be easier if I limb it up. The lowest branch is a foot off the ground. What time of year is considered best to prune Cornus Controversa? Given the small size of the tree I was considering one or two branches. Just to keep it from getting out of control. When pruning small trees I never remove branches opposite each other. I have a fear this will inhibit flow to the top of the tree so sometimes if I am going to remove two branches I do so in a staggered pattern instead of just starting with the two lowest. Do you all do the same? The picture is from a month or so ago. Its even bigger now but you can see how small a tree it is. Can't wait to see how red the new growth stays in the fall.
