Saving a Silver Pine after digging near the roots

[Pb85]

Hi,

 

I have a young, lovely silver pine in my garden but some landscaping work is reducing the space for the roots. I'd love to save the pine if I can.

 

I appreciate the ideal thing is to leave a wider area around the tree but that's not possible. I also appreciate this is a bad time of year for this! Still, I'd like some advice on what I could do to give it the best chance.

 

The reality is it's also too close to the house for a fully grown pine anyway, so I'm wondering if the reduced space might make for a smaller tree that's still healthy?

 

Anyway, I've heard that if I'm reducing the roots then I should also take out some of the branches so it's getting enough water for the amount of leaves?

 

I attach some photos. The red circle shows a point in the tree where the main trunk splits into two. I wonder if I removed one half above here? Should it be the bigger or smaller trunk? There's also a picture of quite a major root that the landscapers have already broken.

[Dan Maynard]

How much more are they going to dig, and how close to the tree will it get?

 

Unless they get closer and sever more major roots I'd leave it be personally, there is still a majority of the root area there. Taking the top out also reduces the amount of food the tree makes, which it needs to grow roots.

 

Or if it really is too close then plant another tree in a better place now so that it has a few years to get established, and then take this one down when it's too big.

[Stere]

Thats a birch not a pine

 

 

 

If it was my garden i'd  try coppicing (cut down at stump) it it might well  die as unsure about how a tree than size and species responds

 

But if it doesn't and regrows you'd get a multi stem tree like the hazel next to it .

 

 

[Macpherson]

Looks like a Birch tree to me, and if you don't go any closer it'll be fine.

[Puffingbilly413]

As above. Birch not pine. Don't prune it, just leave it. Mulch around the base to encourage fine root growth and perhaps water in the summer if really dry.

 

If it starts to die back then you can look to remove but give it a chance first.

 

Can't see the house but I can't imagine it's really too close.

[Pb85]

Thanks all, yes, I don't know why I called it a pine, I knew it's a birch! Late night posting!

[Dan Maynard]

On 16/04/2023 at 14:46, Stere said:

If it was my garden i'd  try coppicing (cut down at stump) it it might well  die as unsure about how a tree than size and species responds

Birch isn't famous for being good at coppicing, so quite likely to die. More known as a prolific seed producer - live fast, die young, spread on the wind.

[Stere]

Iv'e seen probably more than 90%    iv'e cut regen very sucessefully but I think many were  downy birch which supposedely coppices better than silver birch. Most were alot larger trees than in the picture which supposedly reduces sucess rate.

 

Cut a load for conservation management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dan Maynard]

7 hours ago, Stere said:

Iv'e seen probably more than 90%    iv'e cut regen very sucessefully but I think many were  downy birch which supposedely coppices better than silver birch. Most were alot larger trees than in the picture which supposedly reduces sucess rate.

 

Cut a load for conservation management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair enough, I guess maybe one of those things that varies locally as well.