Wonky, flakey (TPO ed) silver birch
Discussion
Hi all,
I ve got a silver birch in my garden which is subject to a TPO, and had had a fair lean to it for at least a year (I don t really know the history before).
A tree surgeon had a cursory glance last year whilst working on another tree and said it was ok at the time, but I can t remember if the bark was in the same condition as the pictures below.
I don t mind it, and it seems to have produced a lot of leaves again this year but the trunk doesn t look like it s in the best shape (see pictures). Does this look like a problem? I m mostly worried about it falling over in high winds.
Thanks,
Nick
I ve got a silver birch in my garden which is subject to a TPO, and had had a fair lean to it for at least a year (I don t really know the history before).
A tree surgeon had a cursory glance last year whilst working on another tree and said it was ok at the time, but I can t remember if the bark was in the same condition as the pictures below.
I don t mind it, and it seems to have produced a lot of leaves again this year but the trunk doesn t look like it s in the best shape (see pictures). Does this look like a problem? I m mostly worried about it falling over in high winds.
Thanks,
Nick
Edited by NickXX on Wednesday 11th June 20:25
There's a bit of an expert on this thread
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
(PArbor1)
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
(PArbor1)
Looks like squirrels have stripped the bark.
Is there a mound in the soil at the root plate where it has lifted? Get a thin long spike and push it down into the root plate and you can feel if there are any voids.
If you were granted permission to fell, I would expect the LA to issue a replanting notice, if the tree fails then they cannot issue one….
Is there a mound in the soil at the root plate where it has lifted? Get a thin long spike and push it down into the root plate and you can feel if there are any voids.
If you were granted permission to fell, I would expect the LA to issue a replanting notice, if the tree fails then they cannot issue one….
Thanks all- I’ll get another opinion from a tree surgeon. I think squirrels have been quite active on the tree, so that’s a better than some underlying disease. The ground is very soft around the base of the tree- which in itself is quite odd as the rest of the garden is clay, and extremely difficult to dig.
I’d like to replace it with something of equal magnitude when it does eventually fall.
I’d like to replace it with something of equal magnitude when it does eventually fall.
If you're planting another birch in it's place then don't be tempted by too big a sapling.
They grow quickly and I've had better results from planting small trees than trying to go big. The smaller ones have actually overtaken the bigger ones and are much healthier looking and more robust.
Will obviously save you some money as well.
They grow quickly and I've had better results from planting small trees than trying to go big. The smaller ones have actually overtaken the bigger ones and are much healthier looking and more robust.
Will obviously save you some money as well.
Best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago.
Second best time to plant a tree? Today.
That lean doesn’t look good. Definitely get an opinion, as others have said betula grows very quickly if you need to replace. We put a 6’ one in the ground 2 years ago, it’s got to be 15’ now and really getting going.
I like betula, the bark colour adds interest , the leaves give dappled shade rather than dense cover, and they’re not very messy compared with say oak or lime. I tend to lean towards the native species but the jacquemontii variety (Himalayan birch) can be stunning.
Second best time to plant a tree? Today.
That lean doesn’t look good. Definitely get an opinion, as others have said betula grows very quickly if you need to replace. We put a 6’ one in the ground 2 years ago, it’s got to be 15’ now and really getting going.
I like betula, the bark colour adds interest , the leaves give dappled shade rather than dense cover, and they’re not very messy compared with say oak or lime. I tend to lean towards the native species but the jacquemontii variety (Himalayan birch) can be stunning.
)Are you sure it’s got a TPO on it? If there’s a TPO’d tree in your garden, are you certain you’ve identified the correct tree? Silver birches aren’t generally long-lived, and they’re quite common, and not particularly big. So it’s hard to fathom why that tree has public amenity or is important to the local environment.
TPO s can be applied to whole areas rather than individual trees. I ve got both specific and area-based TPOs; the area based ones even go as far as to explicitly mention that sycamores (yes, f king sycamores!) in the area are covered by it.
In any event a birch could easily have an individual TPO, it’s easy to see how any tree could provide amenity benefit in particular situations.
In any event a birch could easily have an individual TPO, it’s easy to see how any tree could provide amenity benefit in particular situations.
Our house was built relatively recently, and for some reason they listed every tree in the garden under a TPO (which is about 10 of them). I'll replace it with another Birch as I'm quite fond of it (other than its precarious lean)!
Oddly, it seems to be growing over/around what seems to be an old brick wall which is under my lawn, and I think there was historically French drain nearby which might explain the lean.
Oddly, it seems to be growing over/around what seems to be an old brick wall which is under my lawn, and I think there was historically French drain nearby which might explain the lean.
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