Winke Gave Up On ROD

[letemgrow]

Works very well to use some fencing to protect shrubs even with the following deer densities in the video.

I have some hazelnuts, dogwoods, chokeberries and serviceberries protected by this fencing and continually producing fruits/seeds for animals to propagate further throughout the area.

 

[cavey]

The only bad thing about fencing shrubs is if you dont get back to pull the cage it becomes part of the bush or vice versa. I've left cages around hazel nut shrubs and forgot about them due to how slow they grow.

That can haunt you years later - I have hit them with chain saws .... Red osier cages I have found with my brush mower and even my zero turn .... I had a cage hook my bumper then get caught under the front tire of my truck driving across a field - pulled the flimsy chev bumper corner right to the ground. Im sure a few tire punctures are from rubs against cages while mowing.

 

[Chetcc]

Thanks for the idea to order seeds. I was struggling to justify a min 25 barefoot order plus shipping when I only want a few. Any recommendations on seed sources? I see some options on the internet. One on Amazon says their ROD is an indoor bonsai, so I'm suspicious of that one

This is where I plan on buying seeds from in the future.

Red Osier Dogwood Tree Seeds (CORNUS STOLONIFERA) - Etsy

This Seeds item by TreeSeedMan has 47 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Green Bay, WI. Listed on Sep 10, 2025

www.etsy.com

 

[fingers]

This is where I plan on buying seeds from in the future.

Red Osier Dogwood Tree Seeds (CORNUS STOLONIFERA) - Etsy

This Seeds item by TreeSeedMan has 47 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Green Bay, WI. Listed on Sep 10, 2025

www.etsy.com

Thanks , I'll probably order from them. I got a good laugh that they are sold out of 30 seed packs but have 10 and 20 packs available...Wonder if anyone signs up for the 30 pack waitlist.

 

[Chetcc]

Thanks , I'll probably order from them. I got a good laugh that they are sold out of 30 seed packs but have 10 and 20 packs available...Wonder if anyone signs up for the 30 pack waitlist.

I bought some red osier dogwood seeds to try and geminate. Figured for $14.00 it could not hurt.

 

[fingers]

I bought some red osier dogwood seeds to try and geminate. Figured for $14.00 it could not hurt.

Same. I got the big pack for $14 including shipping. Will have to compare notes on germination later.

 

[Diesel5610]

https://imgur.com/8oAwEkG

https://imgur.com/7mpbkDx

https://imgur.com/PNv1RDZ

https://imgur.com/0o649Zw

This is my ROD patch. Probably 10-15 years old, I have posted pictures of this before if someone wanted to search for the threads. I planted 100-200 seedlings with a dibble bar a year for several years before it finally got ahead of the deer. Took a few hours a year and the seedlings were dirt cheap through the NYS seedling program. Deer do love to browse them but once the roots get established the deer can't kill them and they just bounce back. Seems like it isn't working until one day the ROD is scattered all over and takes off. It is about 2 acres in size and bisects 2 of our bigger plots. I wanted to create a travel corridor for deer in half of a field that was usually too wet to get on to plant. I could have probably planted it using the No-til that I do now but it has been a great addition to my property. Deer spend a lot of time in it and routinely bed in it, especially during the rut. It is also used as escape cover and deer are pushed into it during gun season and we usually find a dead buck or two in it after season. Wish I had a drone to really show what it looks like. Our main shooting house watches over this corridor and the two fields on either side. Great spot and probably my favorite place to be regardless of the season.

 

[bwoods11]

In my area of Minnesota I see Dogwood everywhere. I would predict if I tried to grow it in Iowa, it would be a challenge. The soils are so much different.

Quoting my own post … but any tips on planting ROD cuttings would be appreciated!

Going to try it in Iowa next week .

 

[Hoytvectrix]

The cuttings are very susceptible to drying out as soon as they start leafing out. I have had several dozen cuttings begin to leave out and then die off because they didn't have enough moisture. If you are determined to get an area established with ROD I would cage the cuttings from both rabbits and deer ASAP. Some of the areas where I have had the best luck have standing water at times of the year. It is remarkably easy to get them established, put a whole other thing to get them above the browse line.

 

[Brian662]

Going off of what @Hoytvectrix stated, a weed mat with mulch layer or grass clippings will keep the soil moisture high as well as kill off moisture thieving grasses.

 

[bwoods11]

Need to trim em up, and then I’ll see how they do ?

 

[Telemark]

Quoting my own post … but any tips on planting ROD cuttings would be appreciated!

Going to try it in Iowa next week .

Pot them the first year. Then plant them out in the fall.

 

[bwoods11]

Pot them the first year. Then plant them out in the fall.

It’s part of a CRP planting . In a row with crabapple & plum. I’m not worried if they don’t make it , I can replace them next yr .

 

[ruskbucks]

Quoting my own post … but any tips on planting ROD cuttings would be appreciated!

Going to try it in Iowa next week .

After trial and error for many years. Besides caging them, the best tip I can give is to just have only one bud ( sometimes two)above the ground. You want the cutting putting most of its energy into .making roots not leaves the first year. I still get 8-12 inches of growth a year. Since I starting doing this my success rate has gone way up.

 

[Telemark]

It’s part of a CRP planting . In a row with crabapple & plum. I’m not worried if they don’t make it , I can replace them next yr .

Get yourself some kind of metal stick about the diameter of a pencil. Use that to punch a hole in the dirt before you put the cutting in. Water the planted cuttings liberally.

 

[bwoods11]

The Red O Dogwood didn’t make it in Iowa . They’ve had a lot of rain, but must not be a good area for them. I did get 95% survival on the spruce, oak, hackberry & apple trees.

 

[BuckSutherland]

A good chunk of my dogwoods have made it. Growing good. A couple in wide open spaces look to be on steriods.


If you are looking for a hearty alternative shrub I planted some flame willow. They seem awful tough and are gonna be awful big in about 3 years the way mine look. In their second season and they have already bushed out a bunch.

 

[Teeder]

https://imgur.com/8oAwEkG

https://imgur.com/7mpbkDx

https://imgur.com/PNv1RDZ

https://imgur.com/0o649Zw

This is my ROD patch. Probably 10-15 years old, I have posted pictures of this before if someone wanted to search for the threads. I planted 100-200 seedlings with a dibble bar a year for several years before it finally got ahead of the deer. Took a few hours a year and the seedlings were dirt cheap through the NYS seedling program. Deer do love to browse them but once the roots get established the deer can't kill them and they just bounce back. Seems like it isn't working until one day the ROD is scattered all over and takes off. It is about 2 acres in size and bisects 2 of our bigger plots. I wanted to create a travel corridor for deer in half of a field that was usually too wet to get on to plant. I could have probably planted it using the No-til that I do now but it has been a great addition to my property. Deer spend a lot of time in it and routinely bed in it, especially during the rut. It is also used as escape cover and deer are pushed into it during gun season and we usually find a dead buck or two in it after season. Wish I had a drone to really show what it looks like. Our main shooting house watches over this corridor and the two fields on either side. Great spot and probably my favorite place to be regardless of the season.

This looks great!
We have Silky here, so no experience with ROD. How tall does it get?

 

[fingers]

Same. I got the big pack for $14 including shipping. Will have to compare notes on germination later.

As an update, I only got 1 seed to germinate. Hope Chettcc had better luck