Can anyone give me some idea on what's wrong with my young Silver Birch please?

It was planted (by my house builders) 6 months ago - it's in a bit of an exposed area subjected to occasional strong westerlies - it's about 8-10 feet high and it survived the winter with new leaves opening up this spring. However over the past week I've noticed an increasing number of yellow leaves (almost like autumn - already) - Is this normal, and if not does anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong with it? - I've regularly watered it; it's also securely staked.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

ROb

The message m
from wheator contains these words:

Can anyone give me some idea on what's wrong with my young Silver Birch
please?

It was planted (by my house builders) 6 months ago - it's in a bit of
an exposed area subjected to occasional strong westerlies - it's about
8-10 feet high and it survived the winter with new leaves opening up
this spring. However over the past week I've noticed an increasing
number of yellow leaves (almost like autumn - already) - Is this
normal, and if not does anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong with
it? - I've regularly watered it; it's also securely staked.
Any advice would be appreciated.

No, it's not normal. Apart from something in the soil left by the
builders, I can't think of any obvious reason.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"wheator" wrote in message
s.com...
Can anyone give me some idea on what's wrong with my young Silver
Birch
please?

It was planted (by my house builders) 6 months ago - it's in a bit of
an exposed area subjected to occasional strong westerlies - it's about
8-10 feet high and it survived the winter with new leaves opening up
this spring. However over the past week I've noticed an increasing
number of yellow leaves (almost like autumn - already) - Is this
normal, and if not does anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong with
it? - I've regularly watered it; it's also securely staked.
Any advice would be appreciated.


What is the soil like around the tree? Did the buiders just make a hole
in the usual rubble, take the tree out of its container and plant it?

In article m,
wheator wrote:


The soil is heavy clay type and the tree itself is surrounded by
shrubs,
all of which seem to be doing ok.


How close are the shrubs? My young birches didn't respond well to have
the grass line too close when trying to establish. As soon as I widened
it they prospered nicely. I don't think birches appreciate competition
for water early on, and generally I don't think underplanting is
recommended.

--
"Noah's Ark is a problem...We'll have to call
it early quantum state phenomenon--
Only way to fit five-thousand
species of mammal on the same boat"

On Tue, 01 Jun 2004 11:05:47 GMT, wheator
wrote:

Can anyone give me some idea on what's wrong with my young Silver Birch
please?

It was planted (by my house builders)

At a guess, I would say that's your problem. Not much you can do at
this time of year, so I wouls suggest you maintain it as best you can
by watering if required - but do take care not to let it stand in
water for long periods. If for example your builders just dug a small
hole in a clay soil you could have a situation like standing your tree
in a bucket of water. Next autumn you can dig up the tree and if it
still looks viable, then prepare a proper planting site and if it
looks as if drainage may be a problem fix it if you can or plant the
tree in a bit of a mound made up of good soil. If planting in a mound,
then note *in* a mound - not *on* a mound, it's important that the
root ball is covered by soil that isn't going to fall away or get
washed away, otherwise it will dry out during the summer - a common
cause of planting failures.

Rod

Weed my email address to reply
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"............. it's about 8-10 feet high and it survived the winter with
new leaves opening up this spring. However over the past week I've noticed
an increasing number of yellow leaves ......."

Sounds to me as if the builder just made a hole in badly compacted ground
and dropped the tree in.

Try to see if you can get your spade into the ground 5 or 6ft away from the
tree.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

wheator wrote in message
s.com...
Can anyone give me some idea on what's wrong with my young Silver Birch
please?

It was planted (by my house builders) 6 months ago - it's in a bit of
an exposed area subjected to occasional strong westerlies - it's about
8-10 feet high and it survived the winter with new leaves opening up
this spring. However over the past week I've noticed an increasing
number of yellow leaves (almost like autumn - already) - Is this
normal, and if not does anyone have any ideas as to whats wrong with
it? - I've regularly watered it; it's also securely staked.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

ROb
--
wheator
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Hello Rob,
I can't disagree with anything the others have said, but I would add that
Birches prefer a slightly acidic soil. I believe they can be tolerant of
neutral soils. However, since your garden was recently a building site, I
would be inclined to suggest that the soil is too limey. The soil is also
likely to be compacted, making it difficult for your birch to establish its
roots in the surrounding clay.
If you can, improve the soil with organic matter and add some lime-free
horticultural grit. This will start to open up the soil structure.
Although I wouldn't normally recommend feeding a sick plant, in this case I
suggest you add an ericaceous (acid) feed when you water.
My own birch tree, planted next to a newish concrete path (before I new
better!), has really improved over recent years, so yours should be in with
a chance.
Since your location is particularly windy, it may also help to spray the
leaves with water (rain water, not tap water) to limit transpiration whilst
the roots are settling in. (Transpiration: water loss through leaves ...
natural, but problematic when the roots are unable to replace the lost water
quickly enough).
Hope this helps. Good luck with your tree.
Spider