It’s already spring and your dogwood tree is not blooming?
As a gardener, I can understand your frustration. If your tree looks healthy but still not flowering during the spring means it is time for you to get involved.
5 things can cause your dogwood trees not to bloom. They are Overdose of Nitrogenous Fertilizer, Inadequate Sunlight, Improper Pruning. Cold Snaps and Unbalanced Moisture.
Don’t worry! This article contains information about all the actions you need to take in the easiest way possible.
So, without making any delay let’s jump right in-
5 Reasons Why The Dogwood Tree Is Not Blooming
1. Too Much Nitrogen Fertilizer
Wrong fertilizers can be the reason why your dogwood tree is not blooming. Most lawn fertilizers contain a high amount of Nitrogen. And Nitrogen promotes the growth of leaves. When too much nitrogen is added to the soil, it stops a plant from flowering.
Control Measure
You need to use a balanced fertilizer that is also rich in phosphorus. Because phosphorus will help in blooming. So, get the best fertilizer for your dogwood tree to help with its flowering (our pick: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food). You can also use well-decomposed manure and organic compost.
Here is an easy homemade blooming fertilizer recipe that you can make:
#Recipe 1:- Homemade Blooming Fertilizer Recipe
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of any fruit (pumpkin, zucchini, banana, mango, etc.)
- Avoid citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, etc.
- The best combination is Banana: Zucchini: Pumpkin
- 300 grams of Brown Sugar
Steps:
- Start by mashing the fruits into a paste
- Add the brown sugar and mix well with the paste
- Keep this mixture in a bowl and cover loosely
- Let it fermentate for 7-15 days
- After fermentation, drain the fruit juices.
- Store the liquid in a bottle.
- Add 1 tablespoon of this mixture to 5 liters of water
- Apply directly to the soil
- You can also spray it on the plant with a sprayer.
2. Moisture Stress Of Dogwood
If your dogwood doesn’t get proper watering, it will not produce much bloom. They need at least one inch of water every week.
Again if the soil is too dry then the same problem will occur. You see, without enough moisture, the flower buds fail to open.
Control Measure
Since we know correct watering is very crucial for dogwood, we need to be careful about it. Overwatering and underwatering both can result in no flowering at all. So, it’s best to get a moisture meter to water the dogwood trees properly (Our pick: Atree Soil Soil Tester Kits with Moisture, Light, and PH Test for Garden)
But watering greatly depends on weather conditions. So, if the temperature is too high then give a little more dose of water to your dogwood tree.
Choose the right variety according to your area. For example, Pacific and Kousa dogwoods are more tolerant of drought conditions.
Dogwoods have a shallow root system. so make sure the soil is well-drained. Otherwise, waterlogging conditions will harm the roots. And the injured roots will fail to supply enough nutrients. As a result, the dogwood will not flower.
3. Dogwoods Getting Insufficient Sunlight
Sunlight plays a crucial role in the blooming of dogwood. Dogwoods need to spend some part of their day under shade and some part under the sun. But too much or too little sunlight can lower the ability of your dogwood to produce nice flowers.
Control Measure
Check the location of your tree and inspect if it’s getting sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon. If not, consider moving your tree to another location where it will get enough light and shade.
4. Improper Pruning of Dogwood
Improper pruning causes a dogwood tree not to bloom. You need to prune the dogwood when they have finished blooming. If you don’t prune at the right time, immature buds can be harmed and this will cause your plant to produce very few blooms.
Control Measure
You need to do the pruning at the right time. Dogwoods set flower buds in the late summer. So, pruning should be done by the month of June. Otherwise, the set buds will get cut off during pruning.
Excessive pruning will also result in no flowers. Do not prune more than one-third of your tree. After pruning, provide enough water and wait for some time. Because the tree will need some time to adjust to the pruning shock.
5. Cold Snaps
Cold temperature harms the flowering of the dogwood trees. A cold snap can kill all the buds of your dogwood. Although the leaves will look green and healthy. Sometimes the buds go dormant during cold temperatures.
Again if the variety of dogwood isn’t suited to your area then it will be unable to produce flowers in the cold weather.
Control Measure
During cold snaps, you cannot do much. Because dogwoods grow into big trees. So, they cannot be moved inside in most cases.
Do not feed fertilizers during the winter. When the temperature gets a little warmer your dogwood will start blooming naturally.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long do dogwood blooms last?
The dogwood blooms last for about 10 -14 days. The flowers may be white, pink, or yellow depending on the variety.
When does the dogwood tree bloom?
The dogwood trees bloom in April or early May.
How do get dogwood to bloom?
Provide partial shade and enough moisture. Also, apply dogwood blooming fertilizer and prune properly to get your dogwood to bloom.
Conclusion
Dogwoods don’t produce the same amount of blooms every year. Some years they may be blooming a lot. On the other hand, in some years very few blooms may be seen. But if your dogwood tree is not blooming at all then it’s not normal.
Check the environmental conditions like sunlight and cold weather. And take suitable steps. Feed the right fertilizer and keep caring until you see the flush of blooms on them
I hope this article helped you get your solutions about why your dogwood is not blooming.