Submitted to: Southern Nursery Association Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/29/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Container-grown dogwoods are an important product in the nursery and landscape industry. This research shows the benefit of growing Cherokee Brave™ and ‘Cherokee Princess’ under shade especially during the hottest months, July and August, to produce quality container-grown dogwoods. Both cultivars exhibited more than 20 percent increase in height growth when grown under shade compared to plants grown entirely in full sun. In this test, trunk diameter growth was similar among sun, shade or combinations of sun and shade plants with both cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Container-grown dogwoods rank third in the US in nursery sales of ornamental trees. However, Dogwoods are a challenging crop to produce in container culture, especially when bare root liners are used as the initial transplant into containers due unacceptable levels of mortality and poor growth. This research shows the benefit of growing Cherokee Brave™ and ‘Cherokee Princess’ under shade especially during the hottest months, July and August, to produce quality container-grown dogwoods. Both cultivars exhibited more than 20 percent increase in height growth when grown under shade compared to plants grown entirely in full sun. In this test, trunk diameter growth was similar among sun, shade or combinations of sun and shade plants with both cultivars.