Pagoda dogwood twig doeback

[John Paul Sanborn]

I installed it for my Mom 5-6 years ago and most of the tree is doing well.

Except the south side the tig ends have all died back. Too high and even for deer browse, and we only get one gome through every few years anyways.

The tree gets watered with a Root Feeder every otther week.

My guess is light or wind, but is just does not feeright.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Dogwoods like shade and the south side is where the sun is...
They also like acid soils, you know what our soils offer, limestone bedrock.
Dirr mentioned twig blight, don't have any experience with that though.
Maybe you should air spade it, it was probably planted too deep and has a girdling root.

 

[Jay Banks]

JPS,
Any other dogwoods in the area with a similar exposure? Check their south side to see if you have a match to your problem.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I pulled the soil back so that the falir and FOR's are exposed. Terminal growth is good and the buds are coming out well past last years dieback. Basal formation is symetrical, and I selected and managed tha base for proper form/growth.

Also water it biweekly with a Ross. Given it a little seaweed sause too.

There are no C. alternifolia in the immediate area, one reason for selecting it. Along with all the crabs here, I wanted something that will bloom a little later.

Also the spot will eventualy get more shade, o9r at least that is what I thought til the city came and rap...err trimmed the sugar maple to the south east.

I'm still leaning towards the sun/wind due to the symetry of the "damage".

 

[mquinn]

i know you would have checked into this, but no cankers on the twigs? didn't notice any leaf symptoms before dormancy last fall?

i think conditions were right for gnomes this year.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There is always a little twig canker on pagodas, but not much. They are native to the area.

I first noticed the probelm after leaf-drop. Ann it is very symetrical on the south side. The north side has last seasons growth on all twigs.

Leaves are coming out on every branch, just a few internodes are dead on the south side.

As for gnomes, all we have up here are the plaster variety.

 

[Jay Banks]

JPS,
keep an eye out for epicormic sprouting at the nodes as well.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That is happening, just some little internodal twigs have died back.

The tree looks very healthy, just this odd pattern of dieback I noticed in late fall-early winter.

 

[Jay Banks]

Just a thought (and I know you will) keep the soil healthy as well.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Seaweed of course