"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message news:qKPfd.534601$8_6.114367@attbi_s04...
And if the tree is infected with anthracnose to any degree, pruning tends to exacerbate the development of the disease.

pam - gardengal

Hey Pam,
A dogwood has a pretty bad case of anthracnose starting at about 4 ft
up the trunk. I cut it down at ground level. New shoots sprout from
what's left of the stump. What's the chances the shoots will develop
into a healthy tree??

Bob S.

Not sure what you're going to get, as I have never seen this tried - cutting
back to a stump and allowing it to regrow from basal shoots. For one,
probably not a very attractive tree - shoot growths from stumps will not
grow into a true "tree form" - there is no single leader or primary growth
point. You will most likely get a more shrubby looking form. Anthracnose is
a foliar disease so while the new growth could appear clean for a period of
time, there is no guarantee it will remain so, specially if other dogwoods
in the area are infected.

Is there a reason you don't remove it entirely and replace with a more
disease resistant species or hybrid?

pam - gardengal

I have dozens more(all wild). This one just happened to be in a nice
location near the house. I was wondering if anthracnose would enter
via the cut stump, thus affecting new growth. If so, I'll just mow the
new shoots.
BTW, many warnings exist about transplanting wild dogwood from rural
to urban areas because of anthracnose. Ignoring the warning, I moved
one several years ago and so far it's healthy and thriving. Went from
3' to 15' in just a few years. But I'm sure this the exception rather
than norm.

Bob S.