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pruning red twig dogwood

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From: Elizabeth Woodward City: Rowley, MA
Hi, I have a red twig dogwood that is about 6 feet tall and is blocking a dogwood on a lower terrace. I am having a hard time deciding where to cut the branches which are all about 2 inches thick. I understand about taking the older branches out, etc. but need to prune for height reasons - any advice? Thanks!
	Extension Message From: Richard Hentschel Extension Educator, Horticulture DuPage/Kane/Kendall Unit hentsche@illinois.edu
You can use heading back cuts to lower the height of your dogwood while retaining a nature shape. Prune down to a side branch that is at least 1/3 of the size you intend to remove. Make those cuts at random levels in the existing canopy so recovery looks natural. You might also consider removing an older larger branch each year at the ground until all the older wood has been removed. This will leave you a smaller plant overall.
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