"Inge Jones" wrote in message
. ..
About a year ago I decided a silver birch would be ideal for a
particular spot in the garden, but because our garden is only 35ft x
21ft (with another house directly siding onto the bottom of it), the
tree will have to either stay below about 20ft or be cut down when it
gets there.

Looking on the web, it seems no site can agree what size different
cultivars grow to. The "Snow Queen" looks as if it would do according
to some sites whereas others put it 3 times bigger!



Try a multi stemmed Birch B.jacquemontii is my favourite. They take very
well to coppicing. ie when it get too big chop it down to near ground and
its well established root system will quickly push up new growth.

Specimen multi stemmed can be quite expensive esp @retail prices. But you
could try making your own by planting three young trees very close together
in the same planting hole. In fact, that is a better bet for future
coppicing than a purpose grown multi stem which will normally be a single
stem with cut out leader to give busy growth


pk