Geoffrey Porter asked 12 years ago
There is a silver birch tree in my garden which appears to be decaying. please see the attached picture. Do you think that the tree should be cut down or is it possible to save it somehow. Also, if it is a prevalent disease, is it possible to prevent it spreading to other trees? It would be great if you can answer soon as I am concerned that the tree may fall down.
Gerry Daly Staff answered 6 years ago
Birch can also dieback at the roots due to root rot diseases, usually in heavy soil and when planted too deeply to beging with.
The affected tree appears to be girdled around the stem by a fungus and is very unlikely to survive. There is not successful treatment for any of these diseases, but relatively few trees are affected and there is usually little or no spread to other trees.
