Do these trees need to come down?

[tree-fancier123]

8 minutes ago, billpierce said:

Keep an eye out for sizable rot pockets and any fruiting bodies around the roots or on the tree

definitely good advice, in the autumn if either of them grow fungal brackets they are firewood

looks like you've got space to plant some other bits and bobs, start growing replacements a bit further out perhaps

[wildfisherman]

They don't grow fungal brackets, but there are a few fungi grow around the base of the smaller one in the autumn. I think it's just coincidence though, I don't think they're linked to the tree.

 

There is indeed plenty of space, but there are deer also and I wouldn't want any more fencing.

 

[Mark Bolam]

Lovely spot.

 

Remember that reducing them in size isn't a one-stop solution.

 

Once you do it they will need redoing every now and then.

 

In my experience birch tends to develop rot at the cutting points fairly readily.

 

Bill's points about checking for rot and fruiting bodies are good ones, also check periodically for any cracking in the ground or changes in level (heave).

[MattyF]

I would love to spend a day in such a beautiful spot, if anyone gets to take a saw to them, it will be a nice job to go to
hackers for hire

 

Reducing them that much would be an absolute last resort .... birch don’t have a good wound response and don’t compartmentalise wounds well and the one on the left where it’s been marked is well over any guidelines for pruning and would leave huge wounds... if you had to reduce them 15% of the foliage max would be my thoughts.
I’m curios though as to what fishing is at the location ?

[tree-fancier123]

3 minutes ago, MattyF said:

birch don’t have a good wound response and don’t compartmentalise wounds well and the one on the left where it’s been marked is well over any guidelines for pruning and would leave huge wounds...

I know I'll never make a proper arborist, but at least the less knowledgeable home owners will hire a cowboy gardener like me

[wildfisherman]

That's not so encouraging! I had suspected something a bit like that. I had looked at them and thought 'where would you cut and how would it heal'. Maybe birch are not as forgiving as other species.

 

I fish for langoustines, using pots. Other possibilities around here are crabs, lobsters and then shellfish like scallops. There's not a lot of actual fish. You can catch mackerel in the summer and there's a fishery for sprats in the autumn, but most of the boats rely on langoustines.

[Mark Bolam]

Sssshhhhhhhhhh.

 

Tell Matty there's good salmon fishing  there and he'll be up like a shot to look at your trees and advise what's best.

[wildfisherman]

The salmon are not doing so well at all since the arrival of the salmon farms.

 

There's brown trout in a lochan up the hill, but that's not quite the same.

[MattyF]

I would just keep an eye on them , can’t really assess trees by photos unless it’s glaringly obvious , the one on the left looks like it’s had a bit of crown die back , maybe from root damage from building ?? but nothing alarming , I would definitely be considering replanting it’s replacement this season, birch are relatively short lived in comparison to other species, they grow fast and die Young, considered as a pioneer species they will take over an area of bare land then die off leaving way for other species like oak or pines.. if grown as single trees they don’t seem to do too bad though and last quite well as opposed to many that have grown and gone for the light in scrub.

[MattyF]

I know I'll never make a proper arborist, but at least the less knowledgeable home owners will hire a cowboy gardener like me

Not a personal dig but why mutilate a tree In to a rounded over lollipop... it would to me ruin the location taking any dignity from the tree and look an eye sore whilst contributing nothing to the tree but an on going management program for fast regrowth that the tree has put on to compensate for what it’s lost and cavities from large wounds.