My suggestion is to wait :-) Lower branches on young trees helps with establishment and trunk development. Give them a couple of seasons (if you are able to maneuver the mower around them - a wide mulch ring helps) and then start with removal. And make clean, to-the-branch-collar cuts. Any intermediate or heading cuts on dogwood trees can result in a medusa-like cluster of sprouts from every cut and will eventually disfigure the tree. In fact, keep pruning to a minimum.

If you're talking about being able to drive under the tree sitting fully upright on a mower and not hit your head dogwoods aren't really the best choice for that requirement.

did you plant them??

i usually dont start pruning until the second or 3rd year after planting ... every leaf is a food making machine... and you need to leave them there.. to grow the roots to get your large transplant well established .. before you start editing leaves form the system .... type of tree doent really matter ... dogwood or not ... its a general rule for me ...

this is in my MI ... i dont recall where you are.. i suppose the warmer the zone.. the longer the season.. the sooner this process could start ...

i would also put a rather large.. 3 to 4 feet mulch circle around them.. so i didnt have to mow under them anyway .... and keep the weedwhip away ... solves your issue.. without early pruning ...

how about a pic

ken

It finally stopped raining, here are some pictures. There are a lot of little branches along the trunk that I am not sure if I should leave alone. I have an "all of the tree" picture and just the tops picture. The 2 tall trees are Kousas and the little one is a pink Cornus. They added to the post out of order so the all over picture is at the bottom.

Kousa's are quite a small tree. Leave them to grow with limbs close to the ground and mulch under them. Pruning them up so you can mow under them won't leave much and will look silly.

There's nothing to prune there. The small branches along the trunk are typical of dogwoods. If you prune them off, the trees will simply replace them.

Thanks for all the input. I hope to get them planted as soon as we have a little dry weather. I bought bags of mulch to put around them to protect them from my husband and the lawnmower.

Plant in grass free spots at least 3' across. If these spots are square instead of circular it will be easier to mow. And driving across them will be less likely to occur.

Also if you are in a quite hot summer climate your new dogwood trees may need partly shaded positions to do well.