Hartinez
Masterpiece
Thanks! but to be fair, the branching still needs work. I bet in another 7-10 years this tree will be a banger.And to get it that nice in 2 years!
European White Birch
- Thread starter Hartinez
- Start date
Wulfskaar
Omono
It's well on it's way!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Looking great Danny! Nice job!
NateDyk47
Shohin
This is a fantastic tree. I need to get myself a birch.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
Thank you Sergio! Still a lot to accomplish with the bones of the tree, but it’s on its way. I’m hoping in 5-7 years it’ll really start to hit its stride. I’ll post another pic at leaf drop, because I would really love your input then.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
Thanks Matt! Lucky score for sure. Trees like this are why I still crawl nurseries, though I still rarely buy. I have found this thing to be so forgiving and accepting to my environment and water quality.
Tidal Bonsai
Omono
Really nice find and progression!
I have heard nothing but horror stories about collected birch in Europe, but yours from a big-box store, and the seed grown birch that lives with @MACH5 are both super vigorous! I wonder if it has something to do with being container grown its whole life?
I have heard nothing but horror stories about collected birch in Europe, but yours from a big-box store, and the seed grown birch that lives with @MACH5 are both super vigorous! I wonder if it has something to do with being container grown its whole life?
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Hartinez
Masterpiece
Honestly Sal. I keep waiting for this tree to take a turn because I had heard the same things. This is still only year 2 so I’d say the next few years will tell me a lot. But considering most non native, deciduous trees dislike my environment so much, this tree is doing phenomenal. Hard to say if it’s just a nursery cultivation things versus collected. Could also be my practices have just gotten much better in recent years.
RJG2
Omono
I collected a paper birch this spring; I'm sure I'll have the opposite experience as you!
Seems to have recovered decently this season though, and I treated as I would most other collected deciduous (at collection and after).
Very nice work so far!
mattspinniken
Omono
Make sure not to let it dry out and don't be shy with fertilization. That is what I have learned. I have some collected Birch since about 10 years ago that are going strong.
Eric Schrader
Chumono
"Run to 7-9 leaves, then trim to 2-3"
....try removing the interior 1 or 2 leaves of the ones you're leaving - essentially leaving the leaf that's at the tip (after the cut) and removing the others.
Then report back.
....try removing the interior 1 or 2 leaves of the ones you're leaving - essentially leaving the leaf that's at the tip (after the cut) and removing the others.
Then report back.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
On it! I noticed those interior leaves were so terribly weak anyways. I’ve cleared some but not all. Thanks for the input Eric.
Eric Schrader
Chumono
To be clear - I've not tried this on birch before - but I've been doing it on some other species, and getting more twigging as a result. Rather than just the last bud running some of the trees will open the lower buds simultaneously. It's an 80% defoliation basically.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
well I did it. So we'll see how it responds! if it struggles, this ones on you. lol. JK.
Im 99% certain this tree is going to explode after I do this. Our day temps have been mild for this time of year and night time temps also staying warm. Optimal conditions for plants that are happy here in the 505. It gave me the opportunity to were a few branches to the right position as well. I'll try and snap a shots this afternoon.
Wood
Chumono
I definitely had a moment of "hey it'd be funny if Eric was just pulling this idea out of nowhere and Danny is unknowingly running an experiment for him". Did not expect it to be true 
@Eric Schrader horticulturally, what do you think is happening with this practice? Auxin produced by the leaf is suppressing the apical bud a little bit and gives the axillary buds a chance to extend better?
@Eric Schrader horticulturally, what do you think is happening with this practice? Auxin produced by the leaf is suppressing the apical bud a little bit and gives the axillary buds a chance to extend better?
Hartinez
Masterpiece
If I’m being honest Ryan, I assumed Eric had done this to a birch before, so there’s def thatI definitely had a moment of "hey it'd be funny if Eric was just pulling this idea out of nowhere and Danny is unknowingly running an experiment for him". Did not expect it to be true
@Eric Schrader horticulturally, what do you think is happening with this practice? Auxin produced by the leaf is suppressing the apical bud a little bit and gives the axillary buds a chance to extend better?
. BUT. If I didn’t have so much respect for Eric and seen how good he is with trees generally, I would have said get bent. Also, I’m not going to pretend like what I did or what Eric suggested is anything more than what he said, a partial defoliation with a trim. The tree either responds positively or it doesn’t, and with as healthy as this tree is, which I’m sure Eric could see, I have no doubt it’ll push buds every where I removed a leaf and at the very least budded from the next buds down from the cut site.
Gotta say also. My attachment to my trees emotionally is so much different now than it was several years back. I’m not afraid to lose any of my trees. I’ll bend over backwards to keep ‘em healthy and looking good, but wouldn’t hesitate to walk away if I needed to.
Wood
Chumono
I'd trust Eric to have generically good advice across the board for most trees and it sounds like your tree is healthy enough to deal with this. The worst-case scenario sounds like the remaining apical leaf would suppress bud extension until next spring but still keep sap flowing/those branches alive, giving you a smaller flush next year. I'm interested to see the results!
very healthy way to approach the hobby
very healthy way to approach the hobbyJrmcmich
Shohin
Did you take any pictures of what this looks like after the leaf selection/pruning was done?
Hartinez
Masterpiece
I haven’t yet. But I’ll take some
NeedlesAndLeaves
Mame
I just saw this topic. And had some questions concerning my own Birch. Some advice could help me through 
.
I am growing a Silver Birch which I dug up two years ago.
It is still in full development so still a long way to go from lovely trees I saw in this post.
I did not have the time yet to fully read this post, so forgive me if I dubble ask.
I wired the trunk for some shape, did wiring on branches for a weeping kind of shape.
And then just let it go for maturing. It is a native species where I live.
By now it is growing quite vigorously (in a large container).
My goal is to make a chumono-omono sized bonsai of it, get the white bark on the trunk and in the end have weaping branches.
I have some limitations on tree sizes in my garden (2mtr is max)
My questions:
Can a Birch trunk age and get the white bark in a container? I read it will be after at least 5 years? But that would be in full ground.
If I let the Birch grow in its container upon 2mtr and prune it down, can it mature enough to get a decend trunk or at least the white colour on the trunk? (Container show in pictures below).
How far should I cut it down whithout stopping trunk thickening to much? (I know fully growing in ground is best).
Any thoughts on what I should do with it (besides growing) might help me on my way!
I have not done big chops, just some pruning, fertilizing and growing.
I will add some pictures from begin and now.
Tnx in advance for your time
.I am growing a Silver Birch which I dug up two years ago.
It is still in full development so still a long way to go from lovely trees I saw in this post.
I did not have the time yet to fully read this post, so forgive me if I dubble ask.
I wired the trunk for some shape, did wiring on branches for a weeping kind of shape.
And then just let it go for maturing. It is a native species where I live.
By now it is growing quite vigorously (in a large container).
My goal is to make a chumono-omono sized bonsai of it, get the white bark on the trunk and in the end have weaping branches.
I have some limitations on tree sizes in my garden (2mtr is max)
My questions:
Can a Birch trunk age and get the white bark in a container? I read it will be after at least 5 years? But that would be in full ground.
If I let the Birch grow in its container upon 2mtr and prune it down, can it mature enough to get a decend trunk or at least the white colour on the trunk? (Container show in pictures below).
How far should I cut it down whithout stopping trunk thickening to much? (I know fully growing in ground is best).
Any thoughts on what I should do with it (besides growing) might help me on my way!
I have not done big chops, just some pruning, fertilizing and growing.
I will add some pictures from begin and now.
Tnx in advance for your time
