It is helpful when you do not wish to strain your wrist. Make sure to check out for diseases and dead branches in this process.If you are not pruning river birch for the first time, select three or five strong and evenly spaced branches from the shoots and hence remove the rest. They may end up hitting children in the backyard or even damaging your property. Avoid the temptation of applying a wound sealant even when the branches show signs of weeping after the cut. Thus, the recommended time for birch pruning is between May and August (North Hemisphere). However, best results are achieved when you start early. They can be categorized as ratchets, bypass, and anvil. Has the tree been pruned recently? By removing these leftover branches, it will expose the remaining branches to more air and sunlight and improve the structure and definition of the plant. The river birch is a large deciduous tree, typically growing to 40 to 70 feet tall, but may grow as high as 90 feet. This type of pruning involves a removal or lower braches on mature trees. Botanical Name: Betula nigra Common Name(s): Red Birch, Yellow Birch, Weeping Birch Height: 40-70 feet Bloom Time: Early spring Soil Conditions: Moist soil Sun: Full to partial sun Fact: The word birch is derived from a word meaning “bright,” “to shine.   You may also like: Essential gardening tools. Pruning is necessary for young river birch trees and for older ones at selective times to ensure adequate health. We can summarize these reasons in the following: You may also be interested in knowing about pruning: Keep in mind that in the winter months, the birch can lose sap from pruning wounds, so it is preferable to delay it until after buds sprout. In South America it is on a smaller scale. In this article we will see how to carry out the pruning of a birch trees, we will explain how and when to carry out this task and with what tools. The river birch tree is known for its beautiful peeling bark that is generally cinnamon in color. However, best results are achieved when you start early. Although this bleeding does little harm, it may still be a source of concern. This translates to a fuller hedge with fewer gaps or bald spots. Any tree can be kept small. They are likely to weaken the tree since they take up a lot of resources. Among the tools you can use are the following: Keep in mind that you must disinfect all the tools before pruning your birch. The collar is the raised part of the base branch while the bark ridge is located above the branch crotch. It is a leafy deciduous that sprouts in March (northern hemisphere), blooms in the month of April, also a time of pollination. It must be downward angle to ensure that all the water drains off from the open wound. The first is that which needs to be carried out from the plantation and during the first years in search of a correct formation of the structure, the other pruning will be necessary during adulthood. The recommended age for planting is known as two sap (the first in nursery and the second already transplanted). It is perfect for branches of up two and a half inches thick. Pruning can help control the size of a tree, direct growth, influence flowering or fruiting, or maintain plant health and appearance. When a storm has spoiled the plant leaving a large number of upper branches with danger of falling. Ratchet pruners feature a technique that cuts in stages. It makes your compound look good. . Eliminating these low branches will. There will inevitably be a lot of haphazard regrowth around the top. Regardless of which birch varidead is concerned there are some reasons why pruning is necessary. They take up the resources and space, making it hard for the healthy braches and roots to thrive. As you can see the pruning of a tree of these characteristics requires knowledge and tools that not everyone has, and since it is a risky task from here we recommend that you hire a professional for pruning like this. Use bleach chlorine solution for this process; it must have nine parts of water and one part of the bleach. When to prune a silver birch tree. At that age the seedling will be 70 to 100 cm high and a good radical system. Fourth, you can use pole pruners; they be used to reach dead wood in birch trees or during light pruning. Always start by removing damaged, dead, diseased shoots, followed by weak, lax or rubbing growth. It helps in treatment of diseases. They can be categorized as ratchets, bypass, and anvil. This will help prevent disease transmission, you will have to do it before you start pruning and every time you change plants. Source: Lawlor, Elizabeth P., and Pat Archer.Discover nature in winter things to know and things to do. Likewise, pruning at the correct time of year allows beech hedge plants to retain their foliage throughout the winter. It is also necessary to eliminate the thickest branches seeking a balance in the arrangement of the branches in the plant. Thinning out the branches on your river birch trees will open up their canopies and allow more sunlight for proper nutrients and reduce stress. Pruning young established trees A regular pruning schedule should be … Regularly pruning and trimming beech hedges encourages more branches and leaves to grow. Further, cut the dead branches at any time of the year because sap loss and healing time are not an issue of concern in these instances. When doing river birch tree pruning, there are several steps to consider including: –> Decide which branches to cut. Growing up to 25 feet in height, the “tree” can have multiple trunks and white to yellowish flowers. They have a growth rate of up to 1-2 feet per year. Note: Please note that the advice given here is general, this blog is consulted from many countries in the world, with totally different characteristics, what not all tips will be adapted in the same way in all cases. You can do light pruning or remove dead wood at any time, but if you have larger goals, you'll … You must not wait for a given season to prune birch tree when you notice signs of diseases on the branches. Therefore, There is no doubt that the shade that a birch plant can give is excellent, a shadow that you cannot take advantage of if its surroundings are full of low branches. Instead, ensure that the pruners are well disinfected after every cut. Birch Tree Facts. There are several tools available for pruning a birch tree, you will have to choose between one or the other depending on several factors, the most important is the age (height) of the birch. The silver birch is one of the most prolific bleeders of sap on waking from winter dormancy. In this website we like to finish the articles with an explanatory video, this always helps to understand the concepts in a more graphic way. Mark the branch that you desire to prune 3 to 4 inches away from the trunk on your river birch trees with your marker. Birch trees need to have a single central trunk, so prune any stems and branches that may grow into a split trunk later. Fifth, pruning saws can be used to cuts branches of up to five inches in diameter. Very dense crowns have the problem that they do not let in the amount of light necessary for proper development. Select the proper tool for your branch thickness for pruning your river birch tree. While this may take time, it will help you to achieve ideal results in trimming birch trees. Once you finish reading the article it will be necessary to analyze all the information and apply what you have learned in the best way. You can have a better view of your surroundings. Pruning is important for a variety of reasons. Sap can be extremely dangerous for trees as it attracts bugs which bring disease and also lay their eggs around the pruning wounds. In this pruning, what is sought is to reduce the height of an adult birch, cutting large branches from the top. When planting deciduous shrubs, thin out branches for good spacing and prune … You will easily shape it, and thus give the look that works for your landscape. Pruning birch formation, made in the first three years after planting, are indispensable. Having the right tools and techniques to cut the overgrown, diseased, and dead branches is also important. Most of them depend on the sap for breeding. Carry out the previous care on a regular basis and you will be saving good money on tools. Step 1, Think about why you want to prune. out along the branch. Birch tree pruning is recommended to preserve or improve tree structure, vigor and life-span. The branches should be cut back to the major limb. These trees grow fast to end that they can reach a height of 90 feet and spread as far as 60 feet if not trimmed in time. The Undercut – From the trunk of the tree, measure 18 inches (46 cm.) In this case, we will use this section to provide information on the pruning of a high-height birch tree. When pruning out disease, clean you pruning tools with disinfectant between cuts. Do not be overly worried about cutting off these branches because more shoots will develop within one year. You must be as conservative as possible, so that you do not weaken the tree. This will help you to avoid an excessive overflow of sap. By removing the diseased and decays parts of a tree, you will have ascertained that the disease does not spread to other areas. Of the three, bypass is more popular and can be used to cut off growing stems. –> Find the right tools. It is only after trimming river birch and other varieties that you will be in a position to create an appealing look. As you learn how to trim a river birch tree, you will be opting to see your natural environment in a better way. Are you trying to shape a tree for shade or height? Here, larger braches of the top of a tree are removed to reduce a tree’s height. What tools to use for cutting back Birch tree, Trimming A Large Silver Birch (https://youtu.be/R4qhlyBd2jU), Every dead or sick element in the birches interferes with its nominal growth, occupying space and resources. pruning large limbs. The plant must be at a vegetative rest, without leaves. When are they necessary? At the 18-inch mark, make a cut one-third to one-half of the way through the branch beginning at the underside and working in an upward direction. Chances of fungal diseases and rotting will be minimized in this case. Not my favorite tree to climb but any time off the ground is good. In this pruning, what is sought is to reduce the height of an adult birch, cutting large branches from the top. Although the central theme of this article is clear that how to prune a birch, we can not fail to notice that pruning is nothing other than a care or maintenance technique. While thinking of the best time to trim birch trees, you will realize that sap is found on birch trees during winter and spring. Before you begin, you want to consider what you are trying to achieve and set your goals. It should only be done when it is absolutely necessary. Birches located on public roads that disturb the power line. When we talked about the reasons why pruning should be carried out we said that it is needed to improve the use of the birch shade. Its size might be starting to worry granny. Pruning birch trees height video. Thus, a tree should not be pruned up to provide six feet of clearance until it is about 18 feet tall. It is critical to consult the service providers when you are unsure of where to find the supplies and how to go about the process. Although it is not a recommended pruning, in plants such as silver birch and river birch that can reach great heights may become necessary. The rubbing will also damage the bark and hence make the tree susceptible to diseases. It is a plant native to Central and North Asia, widespread in Europe, as well as in the northern United States and Canada. If you want to extend the useful life of your pruning tools there are some basic care. Some trees, such as birch, have free-flowing sap that “bleeds” after late winter or early spring pruning. You can avoid accidents and incidents. Furthermore, be careful when cutting off large branches. When this happens I recommend that you take some time to analyze the birch crown, and define which branches you can eliminate to lower this density. Look at a tree’s height at maturity and make sure you have space for it before planting. Note that when pruned at the right time, you will have eliminated the chances of insects laying their eggs on the tree. We will develop below how these five types of pruning should be carried out. They may fall off and cause accidents or even injure the tree. On multiple occasions such as: In case of carrying out a pruning like this, do not forget to place healing paste in the pruning cuts, since you will surely have cut branches of significant thickness. Find the right tools. Routine pruning of dead or dying branches can be done at any time. –> Trim the Damaged and Diseases Parts of the Branches.This is achieved by cutting the lateral braches close to 6 inches above the broken or even diseased area. Dead branches and stems stand in the way of birch tree’s growth. They come in different species and varieties, giving you an opportunity to choose the type of tree that suits your landscape. You can get healthy and attractive birch trees, if you know when and how to prune them. Third, you can use hedge shears to prune trees. You must not forget to remove sprouts and suckers from the tree. Although you can reduce the height of your birch by a few feet with crown reduction pruning, transplanting might be the better solution with young trees. In the before and after photos below from reducing a silver birch tree you can see the result of what we call reduction by thinning: pruning back to significant branches thereby allowing increased light penetration while maintaining a natural shape with a smaller profile. Larger branches should be pruned carefully without tearing the … Your major focus should be on growing a healthy birch tree. Overgrown braches will create undesirable sight in your home. Nonetheless, you need to take the necessary measures to keep them healthy. It is helpful when you do not wish to strain your wrist. • Cutting completely dry branches, it will help the aesthetics of the plant. What should be done is to avoid double guidance, favoring the most vertical and best made so that the tree grows straight from the beginning. They are ideal when you are cutting branches of two and a quarter inches thick. Anvil pruners help in removing dry branches and stems. Try to cut the weakest branches allowing stronger branches to sunbathe and develop even better. It is grown as an ornamental species for parks and gardens. It provides shade with its hanging branches, and the little leaves are easy to clean up during the fall. Besides selecting the right site, watering, mulching, and fertilizing, you are expected to prune birch trees regularly. Do not defer pruning until limbs get large. Why should I prune my trees? The trees grow best when their leaves are exposed to the sun while the roots remain in the shade. In birch tree there is five types of pruning that can be carried out. For instance, you should cut the tree back approximately 2 inches stub above the ground to force branching in new trees.Also, it is important to utilize the right angle when cutting. Many people wait for a long time before starting to prune birch trees. It is not a very recommended pruning since it impacts negatively on the health of the plant. Birch trees should be trained to grow with a center leader and should be pruned to maintain optimal health and a strong structure; remove lower hanging branches that interfere with walkways or driveways. Pruning is a practice of trimming a tree by cutting off dead and overgrown branches. So here we are, I hope that everything was clear about how and when to prune birch tree, and do not have any doubt at the moment that you should take your scissors and trim. The absolute best way to handle this issue is to avoid it altogether by planting the right tree in the right place. We can help. Crown pruning for height … Advertisement. Select the best tool for the job. It is vital because: The right time to trim birch trees is determined by the following aspects: Many people wait for a long time before starting to prune birch trees. Try never to prune more than 20 percent of birch tree branches. The process of growing new branches and limbs takes energy away from a tree. It's still that size because we prune it every two years in August. Overgrown braches can be blown away by the wind during storms and rainy day. The ideal planting season is between November and March (northern hemisphere). Start the process immediately and ensure that the saws and other equipments are disinfected. Inspect for pruning needs annually. Don't cut more than a quarter of the branches in any one pruning. –> Disinfect Pruning Tools. Doing this, along with removing all the crossing, twiggy and weak growth, will rejuvenate the shrub into a more attractive tree-like form. Ratchet pruners feature a technique that cuts in stages. These trees grow fast to end that they can reach a height of 90 feet and spread as far as 60 feet if not trimmed in time. call us today to get your free quote 01702 910 995. This can be done using your hands. Pruning Birch Tree Leaves. If you have not cut diseased branches or attacked by pests, you can use them in your garden (for example, compost), otherwise, try to remove those wastes from the garden to avoid spreading diseases or pests to other plants.