Birch Trees getting too Tall

tomc · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:34 pm Post subject: Birch Trees getting too Tall

Hi All - have 3 birch trees about 6 years old in my back garden in a town setting.
They are just now about 20 - 25 feet tall and ideally I would not want them to get any taller.

Would cutting the main vertical step close to the top stop vertical growth do this or would it be bad for the tree ?

Sean Ph'lib · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

Cutting the top of the stem won't stop them growing taller. Would you consider coppicing them? You'd want to do it in the winter. Cut them off at ground level; they'll shoot up quickly next spring, each stump putting up three or four straight new stems. You can cut these down again after a few years when you consider them too tall, and thereby keep your trees under control (and also provide yourself with a decent bit of firewood!)

tomc · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject:

thanks for the idea - a bit radical since I like the trees and they provide privacy - but will think about it