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Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / October 2008planting Silver Birch - optimal spacing?
Hi All, I have a couple of young Silver Birch trees, still in pots. After doing a search, I'm still not completely sure of what spacing I should use when planting... I'd like to plant one either side of my main front gate (I'm on acreage in Tasmania). Plenty of sites state that max size is around 20m high x 10m wide, and that the tree is "short lived". I'm not sure what their definition of "short lived" is though? Also, approximately how many years are we talking about when it comes to reaching full size? I figure if the trees take 10-20 years to get near full mature size, that I could plant them a bit closer, and I'd have plenty of time to prune/ train branches away so they don't reduce clearance through the gate. So... what spacing would be best under the circumstances? They will have full sunlight, the soil is pretty good, well drained with plenty of organic matter (but I don't know the PH as yet). I have plenty of compost, chook poo and a bag of dynamic lifter available to feed the trees. I want to provide optimal conditons for growth, so if there is anything else I should add, I'd be interested to know. I suspect that some of the local critter might find the young foliage tempting, so plan use stakes & chicken mesh for protection. Having only known tropical horticulture, I'm on a bit of a crash course learning all about temperate zone trees and plants in general... thanks for any help. > Hi All, > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > learning all about temperate zone trees and plants in general... thanks > for any help. I settled on 3.5m spacing... --------------------------------- Betula pendula 'Fastigiata' Family: Betulaceae. Landscape value: An adaptable, columnar birch with a silvery-white trunk and contorted, twisted branches creating an interesting effect in winter. Betula pendula 'Fastigiata' is suitable as a specimen tree for landscape effects or for use in areas where lateral space is limited. Height: 11 metres. Width: 4 metres. Growth rate: Moderate. Habit: Columnar, fastigiate, tending to be narrowly ovate when older. The outer branches slightly incurve and intertwine. Foliage: Bright green, triangular leaves with doubly serrate margins. Butter yellow in autumn. Flowers: Small flowers borne in catkins. Male and female flowers are separate on the same plant (monoecious). Fruit: Small winged nutlets borne in a pendulous 'cone' (a strobilus) that sheds in autumn. Bark: Ornamental, papery white bark that exfoliates in sheets. Becoming black fissured on the lower trunk when older. Tolerances: Prefers a moist, well drained soil, but will tolerate relatively wet or dry positions. Adaptable to varied pH values. Comments: If pruning is required, it should be carried out in late summer or early autumn, as pruning in late winter or early spring causes the tree to 'bleed' excessively. >Hi All, > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >learning all about temperate zone trees and plants in general... thanks >for any help. How big they grow depends on temperature mainly. A grove in Iceland has hundred year old trees that wouldn't reach the ceiling of a room. Yet one I saw planted in Sydney said 'thanks a lot' and raced up to the height of the single storey house in no time. There probably won't be any creatures to blight the tree, given it is exotic. As for pruning, the essential beauty of a Silver Birch is in the tracery of its branches. Pruning would destroy that appearance. http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/5Silver%20birch.htm Space them by 10 m so each one can form properly. >>I have a couple of young Silver Birch trees, still in pots. >> [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > > Space them by 10 m so each one can form properly. Thanks for the advice Richard. Turns out that two of the three seedlings I have are 'Pendula' - I am under the impression that this variety grows somewhat smaller? Anyway, I planted them 3.5m either side of the gate posts. So they're easily 10m apart. I also need a windbreak along one fence line and now I'm considering using Silver Birches as the main tree for this as well - they should help block the wind but not overly block the view excessively. Plus, they look fantastic come winter time of course! Cheers >>>I have a couple of young Silver Birch trees, still in pots. >>> [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > >Cheers I don't think SIlver Birch would be any use as a windbreak. The foliage is not dense enough in summer. There is no foliage in winter, because it is a deciduous tree. >>>>I have a couple of young Silver Birch trees, still in pots. >>>> [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > is not dense enough in summer. There is no foliage in winter, because it > is a deciduous tree. I did consider that, but most wind breaks down here (Tas) seem to be deciduous for some reason. >> I don't think SIlver Birch would be any use as a windbreak. The foliage >> is not dense enough in summer. There is no foliage in winter, because it >> is a deciduous tree. > > I did consider that, but most wind breaks down here (Tas) seem to be > deciduous for some reason. Are the winds bad when the leaves are on? Might just have been that the planted rows are mis-identified as wind breaks. BTW, a good wind break leaks and slows the wind, rather than totally stops it. By doing so, its effect covers a wider area. >>> I don't think SIlver Birch would be any use as a windbreak. The >>> foliage is not dense enough in summer. There is no foliage in winter, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Might just have been that the planted rows are mis-identified as wind > breaks. Could well be - to me they look like wind breaks, only because I can't see any other function. I'm also not sure what the tree/shrub I always see used is - but it's very bushy and thick, even when devoid of leaves. > BTW, a good wind break leaks and slows the wind, rather than totally > stops it. By doing so, its effect covers a wider area. Yep - I know I won't ever stop the winds here... especially when it often blows equally strong from 2 to 3 different directions simultaneously. <snipped> >> I don't think SIlver Birch would be any use as a windbreak. The foliage >> is not dense enough in summer. There is no foliage in winter, because it >> is a deciduous tree. > >I did consider that, but most wind breaks down here (Tas) seem to be >deciduous for some reason. With respect, that sounds daft to me - unless Tasmanian windbreaks are not intended to work in winter but are instead protecting from the hot NW winds of summer. And then Silver Birch would offer little protection because of its open foliage. > <snipped> > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > NW winds of summer. And then Silver Birch would offer little protection > because of its open foliage. I don't know, see my reply to terryc for my thoughts on the 'wind breaks' I see everywhere here. I'm not seeing any posts on my machine for the abovementioned person (although I used to see their posts) and when I did a google groups check to see what the thread was about, I noticed that s/he has asked for their messages not to be archived. So, 2 questions. 1) How does on get google groups not to archive somethign without the yes: no-archive not in an email? 2) Anyone got any idea why I used to see posts from this person and now don't? > I'm not seeing any posts on my machine for the abovementioned person > (although I used to see their posts) and when I did a google groups > check to see what the thread was about, I noticed that s/he has asked > for their messages not to be archived. That should not be the case (no archive). > So, 2 questions. 1) How does on get google groups not to archive > somethign without the yes: no-archive not in an email? Possibly GG is not set up properly to handle X-No-Archive? > 2) Anyone got any > idea why I used to see posts from this person and now don't? Could be so many things... could be my not-quite-compliant headers as well... |
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