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Pruning/timing Cornelian dogwood

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From: Nancy Funk City: Decatur, IL
I have a Cornelian dogwood that I have allowed to get much too big. It is beautifully shaped, but 2-3 times too big for the area. How should I trim it and what season. It has delicate yellow blooms very early spring. Thanks
	Extension Message From: Richard Hentschel Extension Educator, Horticulture DuPage/Kane/Kendall Unit hentsche@illinois.edu
You can use heading back cuts to reduce the size of the canopy, yet your description indicates the potential need to remove select larger limbs first and do heading back cuts after to balance out the canopy. With larger limbs, dormant pruning is appropriate. Heavy pruning will often result in above normal amounts of suckering which should be addressed routinely
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