Question
Jim,
I have several dogwood trees that need pruning as they are hard to mow around in the summer.  Is it possible to prune this time of year without hurting the tree or opening it up to Dogwood Borer? What would you recommend?
Thanks


Answer
Normally you should prune in the winter to keep the possibility of Dogwood borers form infesting the wounds. However you can prune now--I would recommend that you prune the branches back flush with the tree trunk and then spray the wound with either Chlorphyrifos (Dursban) or endosulfan (Thiodan), these are insecticides for borers. You might also check with your local garden type store and get an insecticide for borers. There are others that will work as well.