Care of silver Birch

 
I have an old (35 year plus) silver birch in my garden of about
40-50feet.  i look after it regularly with removing dead branches and
removing loer branches when they get in the way.  The tree is mid way
along my north boundary hedge but well inside my garden.  I have
recently had a request from the adjoining proerty to top my birch on
acount of their having moss on their lawn.  i have not discussed this
yet but I have my own views.  since they moved in som six years ago they
have no husbandry doen on any of their trees, and along thier south
boundary inside the hedge they have a huge cooking apple tree, then a
pear tree and then another apple, I can see where their moss is and it
is under these trees.  The previous owner had the fruit trees pruned
every year.  If my birch is causing moss it is on the road the other
side of their garden and I feel that they could do themselves a favour
by pruning their trees to give theior garden more light. What to others
feel, they have also never treated their lawn to my knowledge to kill
the moss, i am certainly not prepare to entertain cutting the top off my
birch when their appl tree over their moss is a good 25 ft tall and the
same in width now the branches have drooped with fruit.


has anyone any advice?




--
Mikeyb

 
I was always told Never prune a mature birch tree, all you will do is
to let in fungus etc and kill the tree.

 

It doesn't sound as if they know much about gardening and looking after
their trees, does it? It would be perfectly reasonable to point out to
them that they have three trees with moss under them. I had a mini
grove of 5 birch in a former garden and never had moss under them,
though the grass was just a little sparse.  Tell them that if they have
their fruit trees pruned every year for the next five years and there's
still a moss problem, you'll consider it. ;-) If you top your birch it
won't like it and may be killed and their problem still won't be
solved. It may be that that area of your garden, theirs and the road,
has a damp sub-soil.   And finally, I can't see that it is a problem.  
Moss is an attractive plant in its own right and it's green!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

 @gardenbanter.co.uk says...

  I would  helpfully advise them that the previous owner found pruning
their trees  helped control the moss in their garden pretty well; failing
that there are alternatives such as chemical methods and strenuous moss-
raking. Suggest they try all of them for a few years and see how  
effective it is.

  
   Janet
  

 On Fri, 2 Sep 2011 10:19:27 +0000, Mikeyb


Poor drainage and compacted soil encourage moss. Tell them to improve
the soil by spiking and brushing in sharp sand, apply a moss killer,
scarify, re-seed any resulting bare patches, and eventually feed the
grass. If that's not enough, then they should try pruning their trees.

--
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales