william love asked 15 years ago
hi gerryi have 3 silver birch, 2 of which are about 15ft tall but only 2-3 in diameter, and only produce leaf at the top 3ft or so . can they be coppiced or pollarded?
1 Answers
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
Birch tends to make a tall rather spindly tree. To thicken them up, apply some general fertilizer or tree and shrubs fertilizer in spring. Control grass and weeds, and reduce competition around the root plate.
Birch is not a great tree for coppicing, being a bit unpredictable. Healthy, vigorous trees can often re-sprout, but there are often failures too. The wood is a bit soft, and they are also prone to infection through heavy cuts.
