'Topping' Silver birch trees

[Squeezy]

Hi,

I live in the center of France and I have 3 silver birch trees near my barn*and I want to reduce the height in case we have strong winds and one falls on my*barn. 5 years ago my wife asked 2*local farmers to top them as can be seen in the first photo (they said this was the way). Now they need something doing as can be seen in the second photo but having read much about not topping birch what should I do please? I imagine if I just cut each large vertical say 20cm above*where they join the main trunk each will eventually send up a few large verticals again.

Cheers,

David

[Gary Prentice]

By continually cutting the tops out you are increasing the likelihood of decay setting in and therefore the risk of them failing in the future.

Cut them down and plant some apples on dwarf rootstocks in their place.

Planting with the same will only continue to feed your misplaced anxiety!

 

Sshhh.. Don't mention how many people die in RTA's annually, everybody will stop driving:biggrin:

 

Apologies, I shouldn't be taking the mick, a surprising number of the people I meet have a fear that their tree is 'too big' and is going to fall on their house.

[Mick Dempsey]

I have topped and retopped hundreds of these trees.

 

You get rot pockets in the cut and if it gets too big you may have to cut below the previous cut and start again.

 

These are birch, not historic oaks.

 

If the client likes them, fine.

[MattyF]

I have topped and retopped hundreds of these trees.

 

You get rot pockets in the cut and if it gets too big you may have to cut below the previous cut and start again.

 

These are birch, not historic oaks.

 

If the client likes them, fine.

 

 

Do as Mick or tree quip say or reduce them 15/25% and shape to balance to keep the wind sail minimal on the old topping cuts this pruning kept within the BS guidelines the regrowth will be less vigorous.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

.....and we will see you back here in 5 years!

[Gary Prentice]

.....and we will see you back here in 5 years!

 

Don't be such a purist:001_tt2: ya know that the customer is always right, if we don't do it - someone else will, yada, yada yada:lol:

[Mick Dempsey]

.....and we will see you back here in 5 years!

 

Et alors?

 

I'd charge a €100 or so to do that work. Not really the end of the world is it?

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

.....and we will see you back here in 5 years!

 

"Makes perfick business sense" dunnit, and, regardless of the technicalities (did I just say that??? ), and in these particular circumstances, i.e. trees previously 'topped', provided the customer is advised / informed accordingly, it might be perfickly acceptable to them.

 

Feel quite rebellious just now

 

Paul

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Et alors?

 

I'd charge a €100 or so to do that work. Not really the end of the world is it?

 

Perhaps you should post your contact details Mick so the OP can take you up on your offer.

[Mick Dempsey]

Too far.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Eh? but you just said "I'd charge a €100 or so to do that work" I had assumed you had taken travel costs into consideration:001_tt2: