I have a large birch tree in my front yard..it seems half dead, can it be saved or do I have to cut it down?

Question

It has alot of dead lims, and doesnt seem healthy at all. Please help.

Answer 1

Birch is a very hardy tree, sometimes the lower branches will die because the canopy keeps sunlight from reaching it. Try this before you cut it: Buy some horticultural cornmeal and some horticultural molasses. Mix them together along with some vinegar, about 2lbs, 4 cups, and 1cup respectively. let sit for a couple of days. lightly till with a garden rake around the base of the tree, careful not to disturb the roots, and then till in the mixture. Wait till spring is over, If tree does not perk up its hopeless.

Answer 2

Dead Birch Tree

Answer 3

Birch is one of those trees that are weak and don't compartmentalize wounds and booboos well. Long story, but basically when a tree is injured in anyway it builds chemcial barriers around the wound since wounds never heal as they do in animals. The chemical barrier must remain strong 24/7. Birches, aspen, etc are not good at maintaining the chemcial barriers so disease/rot spreads.

Birch isn't something that would put up a good fight for survival as would say, an oak. If you want cosmetic pruning to remove dead, fine, then the tree would look better for a short while but will continue to decline. If you don't have boring beetles in the tree now, you soon will have...further undermining the tree's stability. Some good wind storm could cause the whole thing to crash down.

Answer 4

Link below fully examines birch pests and diseases. Identify your problems, perhaps with the help of a consulting arborist, then make an informed decision

Answer 5

Read this mate, i bet u wudnt want to cut it later...

Uses

Birches are versatile trees. The sap, bark, leaves, wood, twigs, and roots are used for food, construction materials, medicinal treatments, lubricants, and other practical applications.

In northern latitudes birch is however considered to be the most important allergenic tree pollen, with an estimated 15-20% of hay fever sufferers sensitive to birch pollen grains.

Extracts of birch are used for flavoring or leather oil, and in cosmetics such as soap or shampoo. In the past, commercial oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) was made from the Sweet Birch (Betula lenta). Birch tar, extracted from birch bark, was used as a lubricant and for medicinal purposes. Xylitol can also be extracted from birch, a sugar alcohol artificial sweetener, which has shown effectiveness in preventing, and in some cases repairing, tooth decay.

In Belarus, Russia, the Baltic States, Finland, and parts of northern China, birch sap is drunk as a refreshing beverage, and is believed to have tonic qualities. It is watery and pale green in color, with a slightly sweet flavor, and is bottled commercially. Birch sap may also made into kvass. The sap of particular birch species may also be rendered into birch syrup, vinegar, beer, soft drinks, and other foods. In contrast to maple syrup, birch syrup is very difficult to produce, making it more expensive than other food syrups. It is also considerably less sweet than maple syrup and the sap for syrup production is not available until a month later than maple's. The syrup is made mainly in Alaska (from Alaska Birch) and Russia (from several species), and more rarely elsewhere.

Silver Birch (Betula pendula) is Finland's national tree. Occasionally one uses leafy, fragrant twigs of silver birch to gently beat oneself in a sauna. The twigs are called vihta or vasta. This has a relaxing effect on the muscles.

Birch is used as firewood due to its high calorific value per unit weight and unit volume.

Birch leaves are used to make a diuretic tea and to make extracts for dyes and cosmetics.

Birch twigs were bound in a bundle, also called birch, to be used for birching, a form of corporal punishment.

Many of the First Nations of North America prized the birch for its bark, which due to its light weight, flexibility, and the ease with which it could be stripped from fallen trees, was often used for the construction of strong, waterproof but lightweight canoes, bowls, and tipis. The bark is high in betulin and betulinic acid, phytochemicals which have potential as pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals which show promise as industrial lubricants.

Birch bark can be soaked until moist in hot water, and then formed into a cast for a broken arm [citation needed]. It is also used in starting fires. The bark will burn very well, even when wet, because of the oils it contains. With care, the bark can be split into very thin sheets that will ignite from even the smallest of sparks.

Birches also have spiritual importance in several religions, both modern and historical.

Birch wood is also used to make drums. They produce boosted high and low frequencies with loud low end punch that is ideal for studio recordings.

Answer 6

Call a tree service,they should be able to tell you.