CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! Welcome to My weekly series! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 25 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Hello Linda- I have a white dogwood that was planted approximately 5 years ago. It did not bloom the first two years. The last two years, the dogwood blooms, but not all of it. Some of the tree does not bloom and I don't know why. Do I need to fertilize? What kind? Perhaps, I need to do something else? Sincerely, Jane Dear Jane, Newly planted Flowering Dogwood trees take a while (years) to fully bloom. They do exactly what you describe in your letter - a bloom here and there the first few years. As each year goes by, you'll see more and more blooms. Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida) are naturally found growing on the edge of a woodland under the canopy of Oaks, Maples and Hickories. They thrive in a part sun location in normal to moist soil with lots of organic matter. Make sure your tree is well-watered throughout the growing season especially if your tree is planted in full sun. Place 1-2" of mulch around the base of the tree to keep the soil cool and moist, but don't pile the mulch on the trunk. Only fertilize in April with an organic, slow-release fertilizer such as Flowertone. Work the fertilizer into the soil and water in. Do not fertilize in the fall. You will notice more flowers as your Dogwood grows older and in no time the whole tree will be full of flowers each spring. You will also notice the upright growing habit of the young tree slowing evolving into the typical horizontal growing habit of a mature Flowering Dogwood. Thank you for your letter. Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! Welcome to My weekly series ! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 25 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Hello Linda- I have a white dogwood that was planted approximately 5 years ago . It did not bloom the first two years . The last two years , the dogwood blooms , but not all of it . Some of the tree does not bloom and I don't know why . Do I need to fertilize ? What kind ? Perhaps , I need to do something else ? Sincerely , Jane Dear Jane , Newly planted Flowering Dogwood trees take a while ( years ) to fully bloom . They do exactly what you describe in your letter - a bloom here and there the first few years . As each year goes by , you'll see more and more blooms . Flowering Dogwoods ( Cornus florida ) are naturally found growing on the edge of a woodland under the canopy of Oaks , Maples and Hickories . They thrive in a part sun location in normal to moist soil with lots of organic matter . Make sure your tree is well - watered throughout the growing season especially if your tree is planted in full sun . Place 1-2 " of mulch around the base of the tree to keep the soil cool and moist , but don't pile the mulch on the trunk . Only fertilize in April with an organic , slow - release fertilizer such as Flowertone . Work the fertilizer into the soil and water in . Do not fertilize in the fall . You will notice more flowers as your Dogwood grows older and in no time the whole tree will be full of flowers each spring . You will also notice the upright growing habit of the young tree slowing evolving into the typical horizontal growing habit of a mature Flowering Dogwood . Thank you for your letter . Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR !