Silver birch over prune?? Please Help

[laura9988]

Hi, 

 

My first post. 

 

Having our silver birch pruned today and we think that he has massively over pruned 

 

Please could anyone offer advise. Please see before and after photos of tree.

 

Thank you

[Sviatoslav Tulin]

6 minutes ago, Ty Korrigan said:

You'll need to put your argument forward with more than a one word response with emoji...

My argument is simple:nonsense I think it’s very understandable,I just don’t see any sense in the post🫡 it’s only me.

[richyrich]

It's only a Silver birch,  does it really matter...It looks like the leader was taken out a few years ago - the tree survived. This way the tree can be retained as long as possible rather than removing it completely due to being too big for neighbours, etc. - if it succumbs to fungus then replace it. More work. 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by richyrich

[benedmonds]

My mum has a silver birch in her garden, i advised against doing it,  but I reduced it for her 20 + years ago. She's had it topped a couple more times over the years each time against my advice. It might be a crap tree with loads of defects but still does a job and brings her pleasure. 

 

[Treeation]

The pruning job doesn't look great in terms of shape but certainly not the worst. No one can comment on if its too much without seeing what your spec was in the first place and what you agreed with the surgeon. I think, as many on here have already said, I would recommend a light reduction on birch if the customer insists on reducing it all. Having said that, I've worked on many battered old birches (not by me!) that have been heavily reduced and they survive, Yes, the wood rots quickly on larger wounds but this only becomes a serious defect if you let the regrowth after pruning get too big and weighty - if you keep up with a pruning regime of recutting back to the pruning points every 5 years or so then there is no problem.

[Mick Dempsey]

It’s been heavily reduced at least once anyway. 
Important with birch to go back to decent growth points, which he’s done. 
I would say it’s a decent job

Dunno what the bit in the middle is, maybe he hadn’t finished. 
 

[Mr. Squirrel]

I’d call it many things, but a decent job definitely wouldn’t be one of them. 
Granted it looks like it’s taken a battering in the past, and some further pruning was probably inevitable. I’d probably have suggested just reducing the height and width though, not thinning it back to a skeleton. It’s obviously not what this tree was planning on. 

[judastreefairy]

3 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

It’s been heavily reduced at least once anyway. 
Important with birch to go back to decent growth points, which he’s done. 
I would say it’s a decent job

Dunno what the bit in the middle is, maybe he hadn’t finished. 
 

It’s looks like stevie wondar’s done it!!!👌 cut it at the line.

[Puffingbilly413]

Presence of ladder always suspect...

 

But agree with most - what was asked for?

 

It will probably come back to an extent but ...

[Puffingbilly413]

On 21/10/2023 at 22:55, Ty Korrigan said:

The rot pocket sample I beat clients with...

What's the fluid in the tray underneath.  Maybe Mick was onto something?

[Ty Korrigan]

12 hours ago, Puffingbilly413 said:

What's the fluid in the tray underneath.  Maybe Mick was onto something?

I collect my piss in a wheelbarrow because I can't afford to collect model trains.