How to propagate dogwood

Seed propagation

Before sowing Cornus officinalis, you must first select a good nursery site, level it, and make sure it is loose, fine, flat, free of tree roots, stones and tiles, and apply a certain amount of base fertilizer.

The second is to select healthy and high-quality mother trees. The fruits should be picked in September and October when they are fully ripe, large and plump, free of pests and diseases, undamaged, and dark red in color. Remove the pulp, disinfect it, and save the seeds for later use. You can mix wet sand and seeds and store them in the sand, and then take the seeds and sow them in the spring of the second year. If sowing in autumn, just soak the seeds in warm water of no less than 70℃ before sowing. After sowing, cover them with film to accelerate germination.

The spring sowing of Cornus officinalis is mainly carried out around the vernal equinox. The seeds hidden in the sand are dug out and sown. On the nursery ground, a shallow trench about 5 cm deep is dug with a row spacing of 30 cm. The seeds are evenly spread in the trench and covered with 3 to 4 cm of soil. After that, the soil should be kept moist and seedlings will generally emerge in 40 to 50 days.

Layering propagation

Layering propagation of Cornus officinalis is generally carried out after the fruit harvest in autumn or before the ground thaws and the buds sprout.

Bend the two- to three-year-old branches of Cornus officinalis close to the ground, bury the branches in the soil, cover them with 15 cm of sandy soil, and leave the tips of the branches exposed above the ground. Water it frequently, and after it has taken root, separate the rooted layering from the mother plant and plant it elsewhere.

Cutting propagation

Cornus officinalis can be propagated by cuttings in mid-to-late May.

Cut branches 15-20 cm long from excellent mother plants of Cornus officinalis, retain 2 to 4 leaves, and insert them into a seedbed made of a mixture of humus and fine sand.

After grafting, water the Cornus officinalis sufficiently, cover with agricultural film, maintain the temperature at 26-30℃, relative humidity at 60%-80%, provide appropriate sunshade, and strengthen water and fertilizer management. The seedlings can be transplanted in late autumn and early winter or early spring of the following year.