I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.

"FLHTPI" wrote in message
...


I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.



Lots of trees in my area (metro Washington DC) had been dropping some leaves
over the last month. I was told that trees normally do this when stressed
from not enough water. We had a terribly dry spring, and seemed to jump
right into August type weather. Many plants were suffering. Hopefully last
weeks drenching rains will turn things around.

My very old Black Walnut trees were already dropping their nuts in the third
week of June. The nuts were only up to about 1" diameter, far from mature.
Normally they drop when about 2" to 2 1/2" diameter, in August, IIRC.

If you have also been having excessively dry weather, I'd say what you are
seeing is normal. Just the tree's way of protecting itself.

In article , FLHTPI
wrote:

I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.

Birch trees need a LOT of water. In this area (western Canada) the
residential birch trees are dead or dying, as homeowners failed to
water them during the recent years of drought.

FLHTPI wrote:
I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.

Where do you live and water is your rainfall situation like this year?

As another poster mentioned, birches prefer things a bit on the damp
side. I bought my house last year and when it was put up 11 years ago
the idiot builder (my neighbor has a weeping willow 10 ft from his
house, lol) put a river birch next to the driveway in a nice hot, dry
location. At the end of last summer it was looking pretty sparse. It
came back fine this spring, but is already dropping leaves (and so many
stupid twigs) again .

Maybe the past few summers have been a little drier than the past and
that is why you are seeing the problem now. Or it could be that as the
tree has grown it has a harder time keeping up with its growing water
needs.

FLHTPI wrote:

I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.


As others have said, it needs water. Water it!! I lost two just like
that last summer because I found out too later.

Dean

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:30:57 -0400, "Dean A. Markley"
wrote:

FLHTPI wrote:

I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.


As others have said, it needs water. Water it!! I lost two just like
that last summer because I found out too later.

Dean

Actually, here in Greater Boston, we've had a WET Summer.
Way above average rain fall.

The only I'm sure is NOT causing this is lack of water.

FLSTCI said:

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:30:57 -0400, "Dean A. Markley"
wrote:

FLHTPI wrote:

I have an unusual species of birch in my front yard, a Red River
Heritage Birch. The bark is sort of a light orange, and looks like
it's always peeling.

Anyway, I notice that I seem to have a lot of yellow leaves falling of
for this time of year. The tree is by no means going bare, but there
are always leaves dropping.

I recently sprayed as much of it as I could with Isotox, thinking I
may have Birch Tree Miners, but could only reach the bottom two-
thirds, (the tree is forty feet high).

I've noticed lots of other birch trees, mostly regular white clump
birches, also with lots of yellow leaves on the ground, so I'm not too
panicked.

I was just wondering if anyone has any insight into this. Is this a
common thing with birches?? I've had this tree since it was a
sapling, but this "leave thing" seems to have started over the past
few summers.
Any helpful input is appreciated.

As others have said, it needs water. Water it!! I lost two just like
that last summer because I found out too later.

Dean

Actually, here in Greater Boston, we've had a WET Summer.
Way above average rain fall.

The only I'm sure is NOT causing this is lack of water.

With a birch, that (hot weather and water stress) has to be the first
thought, as to the reason. That being ruled out, my next guess would be
Iron Chlorosis, which could be caused by your soil being too alkaline. But,
don't guess. Be sure. Take a leafy branch to a good local nursery and have
it checked out. If you rule out Chlorosis, then my only other guess would
be fungal leaf blight, which is also treatable (but can be a pain). Your
co-op should be able to diagnose this from a soil sample.

HTH
--
Eggs

Are part-time band leaders semi-conductors?