Should I prune a Cornus (Dogwood) this young?
United Kingdom 
My cat 'Jonah' has taken a very keen interest in gardening and has asked me to seek advice on his behalf re a gardening project he wishes to undertake. He saw a feature in a magazine about a Cornus 'Mid-winter Fire' grown in a large pot, with black leaved Ophiopogon and Snowdrops. A lovely complimentary arrangements of plants for a late winter display, and he wishes to have a go. I've acquired for him the Cornus, in what I think is a 3 litre pot, but the shape of the plant is not like the characteristic erect, upward pointing branches that you would normally associate with the plant, and nor do they have colour in them yet. Instead they are rather outward-pointing, sprawling and colourless. My (his) question is this: What do I need to do to get it to develop upward-pointing branches? Need I prune it now in a certain way, or not prune? And will it be capable of developing stems which are both erect and colourful by this winter? Or will it only be capable of doing so by the following winter? This is the first time Jonah and I have ever grown a Cornus. Help much appreciated.
22 May, 2009
Answers
It is normal to cut Cornus back at the end of the winter. They then produce new growth during the spring and summer that goes red during the autumn and winter, as Gilli says. I would accept the plant as it is for this year and cut it back in March time next year.
22 May, 2009
You prune the cornus in March, prune it back to upward pointing buds, I would, sounds very pretty with the black grass, the white snowdrops and the red stemed cornus, but if the black grass and the snowdrops do not perform at the right time, I suggest Jonah curles up in the pot to get the colour effect When the sun shines! The cornus stems are lovely in the Winter and early Spring, but you have to be patient for a year or two to get the best effect.
22 May, 2009
Jonathan you also need to have full winter sun on the cornus for the red to really show... we gave up on ours as it did not get enough sun so the stems didn't turn red and being in the ground it grew like a weed!
22 May, 2009
OK folks. I do feel the wiser. It looks like I'm going to have to be a little bit patient to let this planting reach its full potential. It'll likely be at its best the winter after next. I hadn't known the stem colour is temperature dependent. It's interesting what you say about the pruning Telme8 about cutting it at an upward pointing bud. It sounds a little like the way a rose is pruned, bud direction being considered. Many thanks to you all. Jonah sends his regards too.
22 May, 2009
That's alright Moongrower, my patio is plenty sunny, and being in a pot I can move it around. The stronger the sunshine the glowier I should think. Maybe nice with heathers grouped near it. (Here I am thinking about winter gardening, just as I'm planting up summer baskets ... gardening's all about planning ahead isn't it).
22 May, 2009
'gardening's all about planning ahead isn't it'
Indeed it is Jonathan
22 May, 2009
I am quite sure Jonah will enhance the beauty of the planting if he curles up on that nice sunny Patio in the meantime!
22 May, 2009
Previous question
Jonathan, I'm not sure about the pruning but I would think that by pruning it your will stimulate the plant to put out more shoots which should be stronger and more upward pointing.
As far as I know, the colour of the stems turn to red in the fall and get redder with the cold winter weather.
Not the best answer but I'm sure someone else on here will be able to add more.
22 May, 2009