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Red Osier Dogwood ... where should I plant them?

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Pat B:
Lots of folks plant them in their landscapes. It makes a nice shrub if properly handled. Just by harvesting the 2 year old shoots will keep it in check. The first 2 years the shoots are red then gray out after that. That red bark has good winter interest in the garden. Red osier likes moist soil and does best in the landscape in full to partial sun.

Knoll:
Pat, I was hoping you'd respond to this on getting back home from TN.

FAW:
Doing some chainsaw work around the outskirts of my lot and discovered this bothersome red twigged shrub which seems to line the outer perimeters of my lot and some of the neighbouring ones. By golly, I do believe it is that red osier dogwood growing under my nose and me with a couple primitive bows looking for something to shoot out of them. Strange how we take things for granted sometimes. Thanks for bringing up this topic, Knoll, and opening my eyes. For what it is worth, this stuff has been growing in the wettest spot of the lot (real,real, wet at the moment) and it gets a fair amount of the morning to early afternoon sun. I  won't head out there with a chainsaw any more, just a set of clippers and a smile on my face.   

Pat B:
You can cut down the oversize shoots and encourage new shoots. Now is a good time to do it because it is in the early growing season and the new shoots it will encourage should grow well this season and can be havested after the next growing season..
 I have silky dogwood growing along the creek on our property. It's not as good as red osier but makes a pretty good arrow. I started it by driving the cut off shoots into the moist soil along the creek.

FAW:
I kept some of the larger shoots to dry and then get some idea how they can be worked - fortunate to see a demonstration of the process a few years back and as in all things of a primitive nature will enjoy the learning. I will sure be monitoring them throughout this year and hopefully take advantage of them next year.

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