Birch tree issue!

Hi, all.

I'm house-sitting for my folks at the moment. They arranged for some lads to come in and take some of the branches off the birch trees in the front garden as they were coming close to house windows, etc. They've done a fine job, but now the trees are absolutely gushing sap from the exposed ends of the removed branches, and I'm a bit concerned.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Keith

 

Hi Keith,

Now is the time that tree sap rises from the roots up into the crown of the tree as the weather warms up. Cutting off branches will result in this sap bleeding from any wounds. Unfortunately birch trees do not take well to pruning at all, least of all when the sap's on the move. There's nothing that can be done to stem the flow of sap.

 

Hi! Thanks for your reply! I've been looking about the Web and the info I've turned up seems to bear out what you wrote. I'm quite disappointed that these 'professionals' have done this. Do you know if there's anything I can do to help minimise the impact and help the tree recover? Or is it doomed?

Cheers,

Keith

 

Keith,

Unfortuately not every homeowner is aware of what a professional tree surgeon is, and unless the owner asks for qualifications and experience etc. then you'll never know what or who you're getting in. Too many pikies with chainsaws call themselves tree surgeons nowadays but have no knowledge of trees, their health and wellbeing etc...

Anyway, I digress. Proper pruning, i.e. pruning limbs back to suitable growing points and not leaving internodal stubs, allows the tree to deal effectively with branch loss. Improper pruning leads to possible and probable infection and subsequent decay. Depending on how the branches on your parent's birch tree have been cut will affect its outcome.

Basically speaking, if the branches have been cut correctly back to the branch collar then the tree has the best chance of doing well. If not, then there may be future problems. If you can post a photo or two of the tree in question then I can see what you're dealing with. Unfortunaely there's no cure or way of successfully dealing with excessive sap loss in trees from pruning - apart from pruning at the right time of year.

 

Hi, thanks again for your help. To be honest, I'm not sure where my parents found the chaps who did the work, but I suspect they are more jacks-of-all-trades rather than tree surgeons or even gardeners.

Here is a photo of the worst affected tree:



The more I look at it, the worse it seems to me. I hadn't noticed the scorching from the chainsaw before.

 

It looks as if those stubs that have ben left on the stem can be prunied back closer to the branch collar, without cutting flush to the stem itself. This will help the tree seal the wound but you won't be able to do anything to manage the flow of sap.

P.s. I really hope whoever carried out the work didn't charge anything for it!

 

I used to work for H.M. Forestry Commission and one tree you do not mess with is a birch, they can "bleed" to death.

 

Hello,

Ive come across this website which promotes tree surgeons and advises customers to check tree surgeons qualifications

www.treecontractorsdirectory.com