Birch

Genus Birch. Description: the most widespread tree species of the Northern Hemisphere. Attractive deciduous trees or shrubs with an open, airy crown and often with slender, drooping branches and light-colored trunks.

For example, with rounded-ovate fruiting catkins directed upwards (hairy birch, Erman's birch); with ovate or oblong-ovate leaves (ribbed birch, Schmidt's birch, cherry birch); with unusually colored bark (Daurian birch, ribbed birch, yellow birch, cherry birch etc.). Almost all species are light-loving, undemanding regarding the richness of the soil, but poorly tolerate compaction and trampling. They are characterized by rapid growth, tolerate urban conditions well provided they are planted on a strip of lawn, and are very frost-hardy.

Location: prefers sunny or slightly shaded sites.

Planting: when planting, the distance between plants should be at least 3-4 m. Birches do not tolerate deepening of the root collar. The soil mixture consists of leaf soil, peat and sand (2:1:2). A sand drainage layer of 15 cm is desirable. Planting is carried out in early spring at an age not older than 5-7 years; older specimens are planted in winter with a frozen root ball; autumn planting results in heavy losses.

Care: Fertilization. Early in spring, before the appearance of leaves, and in late spring the trees are fertilized: per bucket of water take 1 kg of cow manure, 10 g of urea, 15 g of ammonium nitrate. 10-20-year-old plants require 30 L of solution, those 30 years and older - 50 L.

Watering. Necessary at planting and for three to four days afterward.

Loosening, mulching. The soil is loosened to a depth of 3 cm when weeding. Mulch the trunk circles with peat, peat-compost, or wood chips in a layer of 8-12 cm.

Protection from diseases and pests: Bark/tube-borer beetles damage young shoots and leaves. Affected leaves are recommended to be collected and burned, and the trunk circles dug over. Caterpillars of the lappet moth and of Bucephala species eat the leaves, leaving only the veins. Caterpillars are shaken off, and the plants are treated with insecticides. May beetles and their larvae eat the roots. It is recommended to dig over the soil and pick out the larvae. Birches are susceptible to many fungal diseases; bracket fungi are especially dangerous as they destroy the wood and should be removed. For rust, spray with fungicides, for example copper oxychloride (0.4%).

Preparation for winter. Cover the trunk circles for particularly valuable ornamental forms planted in autumn.

Propagation: by sowing seeds collected when the catkins brown. Sow immediately after collection or in late autumn. Birches regenerate well by suckers, producing multi-stemmed forms that are interesting ornamentally.

Uses: they are among the best park trees and are highly desirable in gardens and avenue plantings, but necessarily on a strip of lawn. Decorative with an airy crown, bright bark coloration, light-green foliage in spring and golden-yellow in autumn. Suitable for all types of plantings, especially in combination with rowans, willows, oaks, lindens, maples, beech, bird-cherries, and also against the background of coniferous species.