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Unbelievable Silver Birch growth rate

mittonjjmittonjj Posts: 3
in Plants
In February I planted a 60cm tall silver birch sapling in my garden (in the North of England). The woodland trust, from whom I bought it, say that the typical growth rate is about 40cm per year. Most other sources seem to agree on this.

It's now 21st August and the tree is almost 2 metres tall with a span of about 1.3 metres.

I'm not complaining about this - It's beautiful and healthy looking - but I wasn't expecting this. And it's still growing!

I have watered it during the dry spells but nothing else.

Is this normal? Should I be concerned? Any advice appreciated. 
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Posts

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    Its going to get big. I cut down 4 in my garden which when planted look great but when they reach 30 feet plus it becomes a problem for the neighbours as well. The leaf fall in autumn was not appreciated by them.

    Just be aware they are going to get tall over the next ten years.

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • Big Blue SkyBig Blue Sky Posts: 716
    I wish they kept their foliage over winter. What a great plant they would be for privacy purposes. Like bamboo but without spreading. Sorry, just day dreaming here a little  :)
    Surrey
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    We've got two just the other side of our boundary, planted by the Council many, many years go. They are now approx 50 ft tall and although still beautiful, are a blasted nuisance much of the time.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited August 2022
    There's one in the front garden of the house across the road from us. It's a good bit higher than the house and ugly where it's had limbs removed badly, plus the seeds are a nuisance, messy and seedlings growing all over.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Unless you have a lot of space on your property (and no neighbours) I would pull it out ASAP. Where I live it seems to have been the fashion a couple of decades ago to plant such trees, usually in clumps of 3, in many (smallish) gardens. What has subsequently happened is that they have grown huge and people have "butchered" them to restrict their height. A sorry sight!
  • Mrs-B3-Southampton,-HantsMrs-B3-Southampton,-Hants Posts: 732
    I've no idea of the name of mine but it's slender(ish) and not very 'branchy'. I think I planted it as a sapling about 15 years ago. The idea of a group of 3 got 'a look' from my OH so I stopped at the one.
    Southampton 
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    Lovely native trees which attract a lot of small birds who eat the caterpillars in summer and the seeds in autumn/winter. 
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    I sort of accidently created a birch hedge, which works surprisingly well, though bare in winter...
  • mittonjjmittonjj Posts: 3
    Thanks for all your comments. I'm going to keep the tree for now and hope that it grows less quickly from now on. I'm hoping that it won't grow too tall here in the exposed and windy North. Think the neighbours may well object eventually though. 
  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    It will probably grow too tall windy-nilly.😉
    But you'll have been warned.
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