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| I have a fifteen year old river birch that I planted as a memorial tree after the death of a child. Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking of what would happen when it grew, and it is now about 18 feet high and has shot up into the wires that lead from the street to the house.
Can I have it trimmed at the top? If so, when? The tree has strong sentimental meaning for me and I would not want to harm it. Also, what should one feed a birch and when? Many thanks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 14, 12 at 19:09
| if i were in these circumstances .. i would have a couple pieces grafted ... next winter .. which means making a new tree from a part of this tree ... and then planting the new tree.. the same tree .... in a better place ... maybe even more than one .... we can lead you to such places late in fall ... the problem with topping.. is that it will lead to the eventual decline and death of the tree .. but what is your alternative.. letting the power company do it???? now.. when will that will happen??? .. who knows.. one decade.. two.. three??? .. it surely is NOT going to be soon ... so put your mind at ease in that regard ... can you understand what i mean by grafting.. and making a clone of the beloved tree??? if not.. ask .. it must have been a hard journey.. and i am sure.. this is not making it any more pleasant ... peace be with you ken |
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| Topping going to have to be done repeatedly to maintain small height, which will cause tree to deteriorate. And look bad. If tree is a vegetatively propagated named (presumably) clonal cultivar like Heritage = 'Cully' not necessary to propagate and replant same specimen to have same plant - all examples of a clone are a single individual broken into so many fragments. |
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| Be a little more compassionate on this one, folks. We're talking the death of a child. I would see if the wires could be relocated. |
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| I'm sorry for your loss, and that it turns out the tree is not growing in the optimal position. My neighbor topped the white birches in his back yard. Not sure why he did this, since they are definintely not growing under any wires, and they look rather bizarre. I'm not suggesting that you (or anyone!) should prune yours this way, but the trees have managed to survive this treatment. This picture was taken 3 years ago, and they have gotten bushier since then. |
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| Hideous and a set up for future breakage. They should just be cut down. |
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- Posted by jimbobfeeny none (My Page) on Fri, Jun 15, 12 at 20:20
| Since they are growing into the house wire, I would consider burying the wire - call the electric company, and inquire! It would certainly be better than topping a nice river birch, especially one as meaningful as this one! |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Jun 16, 12 at 14:14
| Prose, there are steps that could be taken well short of an all-out topping. Some judicious heading back of the limbs most in line with the wires-to side branches turned away from same-could do what needs to be done, without ruining the beauty of the tree. This might be something you'd hire out to a skilled arborist but I don't believe it would be an expensive operation. Sorry for your loss. +oM |
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- Posted by cearbhaill Zone 6b Eastern KY (My Page) on Sat, Jun 16, 12 at 15:43
| As sad as it is I doubt relocating the wires or burying them is practical from the point of view of the utility company. Either would be hideously expensive. In my area one usually comes home at the end of a long day to see their trees unmercifully hatracked courtesy of Mr. Electric when the wires are even close to being compromised- sentimentality has no meaning. It is their right. They don't care if you have cut it back to your own standards- their standards are quite different and not open to discussion. If it is a threat it is gone. I would plant another as large as I could find in a suitable area and convince myself it was the original. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Jun 16, 12 at 17:03
| Cearbhail is quite right-the power co. has their own standards and most generally adhere to these standards. But....it might not hurt to inquire with them. Or, fearing that your call will prompt them to come take a look at something that otherwise would have been years away from their cycle, do the work as I suggested in hopes that they later will not see a problem with the tree. FWIW, even given many folks hatred of "valleyed out" pruning of trees under wires, such that there is an open V right through the middle of the crown where the lines go through, I find this far preferable to outright topping and in the summer, such trees do a decent job of providing shade and all the other good things trees do. I also prefer that this practice be adopted nationwide over the far more common approach today, namely planting dinky Jap. tree lilacs and stuff under wires. Those little ornamental trees are nice for that purpose-ornament-but do nothing to provide a green canopy over modern, big, wide glaring streets, as tall-growing species do, even when V'd out. +oM |
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