[moose]

I am unable to do much in the garden these days and when a friend of my wife who is a "keen" gardener offered to tidy it up for me I said yes please. I happened to mention that at some point the dogwood would need trimming back as it had not been done for a few years. Looked out 2 hours later and he had cut it right back to the ground. Now I know that you can do that in spring but I wonder if it will now survive the winter and re-grow. What about a feed now or just wait and see?

[mrs bouquet]

Hi Moose,  I have had "professional gardeners" !! who have done things like that.    Dogwoods should be pruned down to about 6inches in March time.    I am sure that as yours are well established, they will be alright.  Perhaps you could say sorry to them and point out that it wasn't you    and just protect them with a shallow amount of fine chip bark or similar.    Don't feed them  and then with care, when the frosts have finished.
In the meanwhile, keep everything crossed,  there is not a lot else you can do.  Good luck, Mrs Bouquet

[moose]

Thanks, I notice that he has stacked the cuttings in a corner and was planning to have a bonfire. I'm thinking I could simply plant a few in a spare space and see if they root. I could shred a lot and use it to cover the remaining stumps. They might consider that as adding insult to injury.

[jezza]

Hello the dog wood should survive the winter if the roots haven't been disturbed new shoots should appear in spring from the cut areas  as for taking cuttings use a spade push it into the ground to the depth of the blade wiggle it about and select pencil thick pieces of dog wood about 12 inch long cut the bottom at a leaf joint straight across the top at a slight angle put grit sand into the slot made by spade and insert the cuttings to approximately 9inch down and close slot leave till spring put a warning sign up to friend .  jezza