Have I mortally wounded my birch?

somerset, United Kingdom

early in the year I removed one of the lower branches of my silver birch. It bled copiously for several days and I have been told that pruning birch trees when the sap is rising is a definite no no and that I will have weakened my tree. Is this likely to be terminal?

On plant Betula pendula

9 Jun, 2009

Answers

Bamboo

You won't know for a while, it might be fine, and there's not much you can do about it now anyway. It's a wait and see I'm afraid but look at this way, if no one had told you it was a no no, you'd not be worried about it now - I assume there's no sign of disease or failure to thrive currently. Just don't do it again.

9 Jun, 2009

Bigbumblebee

As you have only removed one branch (it was only one, wasn't it?) then it should be okay, providing infection doesn't get into the wound. Cutting birch when the sap is rising is a definite nono. I told this to a chap a few doors down a couple of years ago. He just laughed and went ahead because the catkins were falling on his car. Diddums! He now has a large dead silver birch trunk to park his car by.
Get hold of some Arbrex and paint on the wound. I don't think it will be too late. Just please don't cut any more until November to January.

9 Jun, 2009