les wrote:
Could someone please advise me of the best method for pruning
dogwood. I have followed the instructions in a gardening book and
for
the past 2 years have pruned it back, in March, to about 4 inches
from the ground. The problem I have is that the new growth is very
lax and needs to be tied up to keep it reasonably tidy. I am sure
that I have seen nice, bright red dogwood with erect, stiff stems.
How can I achieve this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Interesting problem, which I've never met before. I wonder if for
some reason the plants aren't getting enough to eat and drink, and so
can't produce the usual strong shoots. Is your soil particularly poor
or well-drained? Or are they getting a lot of shade? (I don't know
what shade would do to them: I'm just casting about.)

If the soil _is_ poor or dry, then the best answer is a good mulch
every year, such as you'd give a philadelphus after pruning. A good
helping of bonemeal at planting time would have been good, but you
can prick it into the surface, as the rather shallow roots are
usually very robust.

--
Mike.