Question
Jim:
I have about 10 dogwood trees (about 3 years old), that have not flowered this year. I live in Connecticut.
I applied the usual Scotts Fertilizer, plus weed killer  on lawn and also applied lime to reduce soil acidity.
Is it possible that all that stuff affected the trees, or are Kusa Dogwoods known to not flower every year.
Hope you can help.
Nick M.

Answer
Never, never use a fertilizer with weed killer under a tree. The weed killer in lawn fertilizers are designed to kill broadleaf plants and not kill grass. These will kill trees or greatly effect the growth of the tree. The lime will not harm the tree. If the trees are mulch around them then maybe the fertilizer /weed control did not get too much around the roots/. If they got a good dose then they would more than likely die.

I would suggest you fertilize the trees and water.
Any general purpose fertilizer, such as 16-4-8 or 12-4-8, can be used. Many recently planted trees are killed by heavy fertilization. Do not over fertilize young trees in an effort to accelerate growth. On small trees 12 to 24 inches tall, apply one level tablespoonful in March and July. A newly-planted dogwood six feet tall re- quires about one-fourth cup (four tablespoons) of a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 fertilizer in March and again in July. Evenly broadcast the fertilizer on the soil surface covering a radius two feet from the trunk.
For established trees, one-half pound (one cup) of a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 per inch of trunk diameter (four feet above ground level) in March and again in July is adequate. For an eight to ten percent nitrogen source, increase the rate by one-third. Apply one-third of the fertilizer beyond the dripline of the foliage since the roots of established trees extend into this area. Do not concentrate the fertilizer in an area near the trunk.

Mulching is very important. A 3- to 4-inch mulch layer around the tree conserves soil moisture, modifies soil temperature, reduces competition from weeds and grass, and makes the landscape more attractive. A mulched area also acts as buffer zone between the lawn and the tree trunk, preventing careless mower or trimmer damage to the trunk. Pinestraw, pinebark, or leaves are good mulches to use around dogwoods. Add more mulch as needed as the mulch layer diminishes.