Early Mother's Day Could Help Dogwoods Maintain Bloom for Festival

The pretty pink and white dogwood trees in the town's Greenfield Hill neighborhood may still be in bloom for the 75th annual Dogwood Festival, despite the early April heat that caused them to bloom early, local tree experts said today.

Jed Duguid, a manager at Oliver Nurseries on Bronson Road in lower Greenfield Hill, said Mother's Day was earlier this year compared to previous years and that could help ensure the dogwoods remain in bloom for the popular festival, which is scheduled for May 7 through May 9 on the grounds of the historic Greenfield Hill Congregational Church, 1045 Old Academy Road.

Mother's Day in 2007 was on May 13, while it was on May 11 in 2008 and May 10 in 2009.

"You can expect 14 days out of them; some years a little less, some years a little more," Duguid said. "When they're in bloom, the peak bloom might be seven days. I think they still have another day or two before they're at their peak."

Town Tree Warden Ken Placko said the question wasn't whether dogwoods would be in bloom for the annual festival. "It's whether they'll hold their bloom. That would be the question. They all bloomed out," he said. "It's too close to call."

Duguid and Placko said the dogwoods bloomed early this year due to the heat in early April. Duguid figured they bloomed a week to 10 days ahead of schedule, while Placko estimated the early bloom at two to three weeks.

All of the rain in March didn't really affect when the dogwoods bloomed, Duguid said. "I don't think excess moisture would have too much effect on it. The flower buds this spring were all set last fall," he said.

Duguid said dogwoods may be at the tail end of their peak bloom for the festival if the weather stays cool between now and then, but they'd be past peak bloom if there's a hot spell.

Placko said the dogwoods should be in bloom for the festival if there's not heavy rain and wind between now and May 7, but he thought they'd be past peak bloom. "It would be past peak, past their normal showy period. There should still be a number of flowers on them," he said.

Duguid said it's too early to tell if all of the rain in March would cause a fungus problem on dogwoods because the fungus usually starts to show and spread after the trees are fully leafed out.

"They look generally healthy for this time of year," Placko said of Greenfield Hill's dogwoods.

Dogwood trees are popular with customers at Oliver Nurseries, Duguid said. "We probably sell more flowering dogwoods than any other small flowering tree," he said. "I think a big part of it is because of the Dogwood Fest and because they've been lining Bronson Road so long."

The nursery stocks pink and white dogwoods (white ones are more popular with customers), and Duguid said dogwoods are more disease resistant now than they used to be because they're cultivars and not seedling grown. Cultivars instead are propagated vegetatively, such as through stem cuttings.

Dan Halmeck, manager at Geiger's Garden Center in Fairfield, said residents can properly care for dogwoods on their properties by pruning dead and dying braches off the trees after they've flowered; placing a mound of dirt around their trunks to protect them from getting hit by a lawnmower; ensuring they receive water during dry spells; and fertilizing them.

Halmeck, who lives in Fairfield, said seven dogwoods are on his property. "This year, they seem to be just as beautiful as ever," he said, adding that dogwoods he sees on his trips around Fairfield also look pretty healthy.

Halmeck said it was important to prune dead and dying branches from dogwoods because the trees' energy shouldn't be wasted on dying branches. He said the mound of dirt was important because dogwoods have shallow bark. "That alone will kill the tree, just banging against it with the mower," he said.

Hours of the 75th annual Dogwood Festival are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 8; and noon to 5 p.m. May 9. All proceeds from the festival are donated to charities.