Weston's Baytree Garden Centre offers tips for looking after a Cornus plant

Mark Cox of Baytree Garden Centre pens this week's Out in the Garden column on looking after a Cornus plant - and generally getting trim!

Number one daughter has been on to me again to lose a little weight and to get into shape following my really poor showing at last year’s sports day. She says that it was embarrassing to watch me be carried off the track to an ambulance after failing to complete the 100m parent’s race. I blamed it on the humidity; my daughter blames it on my love of pies.

So, in an effort to get fitter and trimmer, I have embarked on a serious diet and exercise regime. This means I am constantly hungry and my body hurts. To make matters worse I believe my daughter is correct after I caught sight of myself in the mirror red faced and sweating following a short bicycle ride to the local shops with her.

My face unfortunately was redder than the Cornus (Dogwood) that I intended to cut right back to the ground later that afternoon. After a cup of restorative tea and several carrot sticks I felt ready to face the world once more. I may have done but my legs had a completely different idea as they told me in no uncertain terms that they weren’t happy to support my weight for at least another couple of hours.

Eventually after a period of rest in front of “Homes Under The Hammer” my legs agreed to work once more for which I was most grateful. It was a glorious afternoon. The sun was shining and the sky was blue, it was a perfect winter’s day to be out in the garden.

The Cornus in my garden is about five years old now and is ready for its first real haircut. This really hard haircut will encourage stronger growth and it will also help to produce a fuller wider shape to the bush. Plus I’ll get more deep red stems in the winter to add interest on those cold dark winters’ days.

Your Cornus shouldn’t be cut back until it is at least four years old. When your plant is older than that you can prune it back every other year.

Now the best time to cut back Cornus is late winter or early spring February/March. You will need to make sure that the plant has not started to leaf as we really need it to be dormant. Most of the pruning can be tackled with a good quality sharp pair of secateurs - but for some of you with older plants and thicker stems you’ll need a garden saw. Don’t be tempted to use loppers as they have a habit of crushing the stems which can lead to die back and the plant rotting.

Start with the outer stems and simply cut the stems down to a few inches or 7cm above the crown of the plant and just keep working your way around.

Keep the stems as they look amazing when tied together and placed in your home in a tall jar or container.

Once the pruning and cutting is done you’ll be left with quite a sad looking stump but please don’t be alarmed as, in a few months, new shoots will form and the new growth will be stronger and more vigorous. Plus the number of stems will increase, giving you a fuller bush. Protect the crown by adding a deep layer of mulch all around the plants base.

Come the autumn/winter, when the leaves on the new stems have fallen, we will have a Cornus full of deep red stems and, if Fat Warriors is to be believed, I’ll have to body of an Adonis and I will have dropped several dress sizes!