Hi all,

Another problem: I've got a silver birch which was planted as a healthy,
strong 10ft sapling a couple of summers back. Watered it in virtually every
day for the first year and it put on growth last summer. This year to date
however its looking very sorry for itself with no leaves and no sign of any
fresh buds. Could the extreme winter have killed it or is there still a
chance it could show some growth?

TIA

Clive in Kent

In article ,
Clive Holden cliverholden@hotmailremove wrote:

Another problem: I've got a silver birch which was planted as a healthy,
strong 10ft sapling a couple of summers back. Watered it in virtually every
day for the first year and it put on growth last summer. This year to date
however its looking very sorry for itself with no leaves and no sign of any
fresh buds. Could the extreme winter have killed it or is there still a
chance it could show some growth?

WHAT extreme winter? Sorry, but it was nothing abnormal for the UK,
except in the past couple of decades, and silver birches grow in
VERY much colder climates. It may be dead, but it will be fungal
or similar infection of the roots if so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Tue, 25 May 2010 10:55:45 +0100 (BST), wrote:

WHAT extreme winter? Sorry, but it was nothing abnormal for the UK,

Aye, seems many people have been lulled into thinking that "winter"
is just a slighly cooler and wetter vesrion of "summer". Last winter
was just nearer normal than we have had for the last 10 years or so.

It may be dead, but it will be fungal or similar infection of the roots
if so.

What is this prediliction with assuming something is dead the moment
it's a couple of weeks later than the year before in coming into
leaf. We have had colder winter and a late spring but stuff will
catch up. If it's still bare by the end of August then it *might* be
dead. Personally I'd leave it until well into autumn then prune back
anything that is brittle and dry and see what it does next year.

--
Cheers
Dave.

wrote in message
...
In article ,
Clive Holden cliverholden@hotmailremove wrote:

Another problem: I've got a silver birch which was planted as a healthy,
strong 10ft sapling a couple of summers back. Watered it in virtually
every
day for the first year and it put on growth last summer. This year to date
however its looking very sorry for itself with no leaves and no sign of
any
fresh buds. Could the extreme winter have killed it or is there still a
chance it could show some growth?

WHAT extreme winter? Sorry, but it was nothing abnormal for the UK,
except in the past couple of decades, and silver birches grow in
VERY much colder climates. It may be dead, but it will be fungal
or similar infection of the roots if so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Of course the winter was abnormal !

If it was the norm, then my concrete block steps would have been burst by
the feezing in other years. Only this last winter did that happen so it was
certainly abnormal taken in the light of experience over the last twenty
years at least.

Bill

Of course the winter was abnormal !

If it was the norm, then my concrete block steps would have been burst by
the feezing in other years. Only this last winter did that happen so it
was certainly abnormal taken in the light of experience over the last
twenty years at least.

Bill


Thanks Bill - yes the winter was extreme, certainly down here in Kent. I've
not known the temperature to fall to -10 before as it did in my garden. I
lost more plants than ever before in 30 years of gardening.

Clive in Kent

In article ,
Clive Holden cliverholden@hotmailremove wrote:

Of course the winter was abnormal !

If it was the norm, then my concrete block steps would have been burst by
the feezing in other years. Only this last winter did that happen so it
was certainly abnormal taken in the light of experience over the last
twenty years at least.

Thanks Bill - yes the winter was extreme, certainly down here in Kent. I've
not known the temperature to fall to -10 before as it did in my garden. I
lost more plants than ever before in 30 years of gardening.

A winter that has a 25-year low in at least some locations of the UK
is not extreme - the fact that we had had 10-20 years of very mild
winters made people think that they were what should be expected.
UK weather is not like that. I know that Cambridge got off very
lightly, with very little below -10 Celsius, but -10 Celsius even
in Kent isn't extreme even in my recollection. Remember 1962-3?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Twenty years, eh? How many decades are there in a couple?

Brace yourself for a grouse :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Depends on your perspective, I suppose. I'd have said it was the last 20 years that was abnormal.

On Wed, 26 May 2010 13:50:53 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from contains these words:

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Twenty years, eh? How many decades are there in a couple?

Brace yourself for a grouse :-)

A brace of grouse would be welcome; I'm tired of peasants.

That's you up against the wall, come the revolution.


--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

In message ,
writes
In article ,
Clive Holden cliverholden@hotmailremove wrote:

Another problem: I've got a silver birch which was planted as a healthy,
strong 10ft sapling a couple of summers back. Watered it in virtually every
day for the first year and it put on growth last summer. This year to date
however its looking very sorry for itself with no leaves and no sign of any
fresh buds. Could the extreme winter have killed it or is there still a
chance it could show some growth?

WHAT extreme winter? Sorry, but it was nothing abnormal for the UK,

Extreme seasons are not abnormal. We expect them to occur every now and
again.

This last winter was the most severe since 78/79. (Though in this case
the severity was more the prolonged cold spells, leading to penetrating
frosts, that the intensity of the frosts.) Unless circulation patterns
are changing to give the UK a more continental climate I'd guess we
would now expect to see a winter like the last one every 50 or so years.

except in the past couple of decades, and silver birches grow in
VERY much colder climates. It may be dead, but it will be fungal
or similar infection of the roots if so.

But yes, silver birches should be able to handle the cold. Birches might
be the hardiest of all trees, growing north of spruces and firs.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Bill Grey" contains these words:


wrote in message
...
In article ,
Clive Holden cliverholden@hotmailremove wrote:

Could the extreme winter have killed it

WHAT extreme winter? Sorry, but it was nothing abnormal for the UK,
except in the past COUPLE OF DECADES, and silver birches grow in
VERY much colder climates. It may be dead, but it will be fungal
or similar infection of the roots if so.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Of course the winter was abnormal !


If it was the norm, then my concrete block steps would have been burst by
the feezing in other years. Only this last winter did that happen so
it was
certainly abnormal taken in the light of experience over the last twenty
years at least.

Twenty years, eh? How many decades are there in a couple?

Janet

I'll have to work that one out !

Bill

wrote in message
...
In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

Twenty years, eh? How many decades are there in a couple?

Brace yourself for a grouse :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

:-) :-)

Bill