Silver Birch trees

JackPerry

In mid March this year we had some silver birch trees planted by a landscaper.
All the trees are approx 25 mm in diameter measured 1 metre from ground and all are approx. 4.5 m to the highest branch. They are all held in position with stakes.
My question concerns the relatively few leaves that have fully formed. Some trees are ok in that they have leaves although some are turning yellowish already. Others have leaves "budding" but have been like this for weeks without much sign of growth. Is this normal in the first year or are my trees in terminal decline?
Any advice would be welcome.

paddy147

JackPerry wrote: »

In mid March this year we had some silver birch trees planted by a landscaper.
All the trees are approx 25 mm in diameter measured 1 metre from ground and all are approx. 4.5 m to the highest branch. They are all held in position with stakes.
My question concerns the relatively few leaves that have fully formed. Some trees are ok in that they have leaves although some are turning yellowish already. Others have leaves "budding" but have been like this for weeks without much sign of growth. Is this normal in the first year or are my trees in terminal decline?
Any advice would be welcome.

Are you looking after them?

Whats your soil like?



Our birch tree is flying.It was planted by my missus in lateApril 2011,and it took off more or less straight away.
The trees rootball is staked below ground too.

We have/made good quality soil (topsoil,manure,compost,horticultural grit and fertilizer pellets).

Its watered regulary and also we give it a liquid feed too,from time to time.

looksee

I would think that trees put in by a professional in March should be growing without any further specific care by the OP. If they were not properly planted then there could be problems, but that is presumably what the OP paid for. I don't think there has been any weather dry enough to cause issues since March!

Birches are not difficult - I have two, a Himalayan birch which was a good size and quite an expensive tree, and an ordinary silver birch from a supermarket, both were planted with only a modest amount of ceremony, properly staked in ordinary but good garden soil, not fed since planting, and both are doing well several years on.

Your trees don't sound right OP. Could you put up a pic? Is your garden very exposed/windy? Are you very near to the sea? A landscaper should have taken account of these conditions though, I would be inclined to contact the person who planted them.

planetX

It sounds like they might have dried out at some stage - there was that unseasonably warm and dry spell in March. For newly planted trees this may well have been terminal - were they bare-root? 4.5m is a very large tree, and will be much harder to establish than small ones. Little or no top growth for the first year would be normal, but the ones that haven't formed any leaves at all are either dead, or they may reshoot from the bottom next year.
Sounds like you need to get your landscaper back in for a look...

(smaller trees usually catch up and outgrow those big ones within a few years)

rhonin

JackPerry wrote: »

In mid March this year we had some silver birch trees planted by a landscaper.
All the trees are approx 25 mm in diameter measured 1 metre from ground and all are approx. 4.5 m to the highest branch. They are all held in position with stakes.
My question concerns the relatively few leaves that have fully formed. Some trees are ok in that they have leaves although some are turning yellowish already. Others have leaves "budding" but have been like this for weeks without much sign of growth. Is this normal in the first year or are my trees in terminal decline?
Any advice would be welcome.

We planted two birch trees last year. One of them is like yours in that it stared budding and then stopped. The other one is doing fine.
I've been keeping them well watered but I'm not sure why one of them hasn't done so well.

vicwatson

paddy147 wrote: »

Are you looking after them?

Whats your soil like?



Our birch tree is flying.It was planted by my missus in lateApril 2011,and it took off more or less straight away.
The trees rootball is staked below ground too.

We have/made good quality soil (topsoil,manure,compost,horticultural grit and fertilizer pellets).

Its watered regulary and also we give it a liquid feed too,from time to time.

Can I ask where you picked up that semi mature and what price? TIA

paddy147

vicwatson wrote: »

Can I ask where you picked up that semi mature and what price? TIA

Tree was bought in Tullys Nurseries in Ballyboughal,County Dublin.

http://www.tullynurseries.ie/

Cant remember the exact price though,as it was bought with a whole heap of other garden plants,soil,manure and bark.:)

JackPerry

My trees are planted in an inland county, good soil , but tends tobe heavy (and quite wet this summer) against existing west facinghawthorn hedgegrow, so sheltered to some extent.

My trees are less mature that those posted by Paddy, probably 3.5 m high and not 4.5 m as stated earlier. They came in pots.

See pics below.

paddy147

JackPerry wrote: »

My trees are planted in an inland county, good soil , but tends tobe heavy (and quite wet this summer) against existing west facinghawthorn hedgegrow, so sheltered to some extent.

My trees are less mature that those posted by Paddy, probably 3.5 m high and not 4.5 m as stated earlier. They came in pots.

See pics below.

That dont look too good at all.:(

Im wondeing it the roots were/are potbound,seen as they came out of a pot.
And where they allready struggling/dying in the pot,before they were planted??

Have you been watering and liquid feeding around the soil area too?

Also,have you discussed the matter with the landscaper in question?;)

JackPerry

Thanks for the reply, Paddy.
The trees seemed to be in good condition before planting. I watered them regularly and applied fertilizer from time to time.
Any chance they will recover next season or am I better off removing them completely and planting new trees this winter?

paddy147

JackPerry wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, Paddy.
The trees seemed to be in good condition before planting. I watered them regularly and applied fertilizer from time to time.
Any chance they will recover next season or am I better off removing them completely and planting new trees this winter?

No harm to have a chat "in person" with the landscaper who supplied and planted them for you.;)

I mean they were only planted in March,so see what he or she says and might do for you that may remedy the problem.:)



The whole idea of watering the soil in a large circle around the trees base,is to encourage the roots to come out/spread out to seek new soil and moisture.

I learned this recently myself,that watering the tree is no good on its own,that its the wider soil area around the tree thats the key part to the roots with regards watering/feeding.But dont go mad though,and turn the place into a swimming pool.Also dont go mad on the liquid feed though,as too much of the stuff can be bad and cause problems.

When Im out watering th garden and tree.I water the ground to about 1 yard out from the tree base and then I go around the tree in a large circle and water this large circular area of the soil and then work my way in towards the trees base.A good firm watering,but not turning it into a swimming pool though.

So far,so good.:)