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height restriction

RUTH9RUTH9 Posts: 4
in Plants
Have been given a silver birch sapling, can I keep it's height limited by pruning ?

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    You can cut it down to about a foot, every four to five years. You will end up with a multi stemmed specimen.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hello and welcome @RUTH9
     
    Not and still retain the graceful and elegant form that is what a silver birch is all about, I’m afraid to say. 

    There are some varieties which don’t grow as tall as others, but unless your sapling is a named variety it’s unlikely to be one of those. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • RUTH9RUTH9 Posts: 4
    okay, thanks for your comments.It is a Betula Pendula which it says will grow pretty tall
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    That’s a good idea @fidgetbones ... a multi stemmed birch is a pretty thing ... if Ruth has enough room ... they still take up a fair bit of space. 

    If we knew how big a garden she has ...?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • RUTH9RUTH9 Posts: 4
    okay, I guess about 30 foot wide and 40 long?
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    My previous garden was about that size, with a Silver Birch half way down. The neighbour complained it was too big, so we cut it down. It regrew and we had a multi stem tree, Which when it got to 15 ft again, I cut down again.
  • RUTH9RUTH9 Posts: 4
    Thanks for your comments 
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