I recently bought a home in CT and in the front lawn there are two beautiful birch trees. We've had a normal amount of rainfall so far, but the trees are dropping yellow leaves.

Is this normal? What should I do to make sure I keep these trees healthy?

Thanks,
Serge

 

Welcome to the forum.

There is nothing quite like healthy trees.

Here is a site dedicated to birch trees:

http://www.birch-tree.com/

Hope this helps.

 

Hello Serge

We grow many types of Fruit trees on the Farm. Some amount of yellow leaves can be found under the tree all season. Like a dog sheds some hair, so do trees shed some leaves.

If the trees lose a lot of leaves, leaving bare branches that is not normal.

A tree will make and lose leaves all season long, could this be natural shedding? Or do you see any other signs of illness in the Tree? Sores, weeping sap etc.

 

I have been a homeowner for 2 summers now with Birch Trees. I just learned that my trees are victims of "Birch Leafminers". I seem to have a larger than normal amounts of leaves falling and most of the fallen leaves have holes and discoloring on them. I remember seeing the light green larvae hanging from the branches on occasion.

It appears that the most effective time to treat them is in May with either soil granules or dig several small holes and insert the chemical there. This method kills the larva. I have also read of injections into the tree and leaf treatments, but it appears the majority of the information I have read suggests the soil-hole-chemical treatments.

I am no expert, I just thought I would share my personal research. There is also a borer type of pest that is mentioned often for birch trees, but I believe my pest is the leafminer.

 

Hi all

I found a few links that give some things that have been tried on "Birch Leafminers". A nasty import to be sure.

http://www.ipmofalaska.homestead.com...eafminers.html

http://www.theneemtree.com/insects6.htm

http://www.gov.edmonton.ab.ca/comm_s...r_control.html

 

Thanks to all for the great info on birch trees!

It sounds like caring for birch trees is 99% proactive. Based on the excellent advice, I see that I need to put in some proper mulch beds, and do those 'root treatments' soon. Does anyone have any advice on what works and what doesn't?

Thanks,
Serge

 

I have not used Neem Oil for this purpose.

However I have used Neem oil for 4 years now & it has never failed to impress me. Organic Growers & people wanting not to use toxic long lasting substances on their land, will find Neem Oil a real lifesaver.

Using the root system to deliver a death blow to pests deep inside of plants is not new. Many newer Pesticides called Systemic have been able to infiltrate the plants tissues.

You may have an Organic Organization in your State, that you can contact for more information.

Good luck to you & your Trees

 

If yellowing of birch leaves seems to be isolated toward the crown of the tree, it could be birch borers. The bronze birch borer, Agrilus anxius (Gory), is a native American insect that is especially prone to attack stressed ornamental birches. Larvae (worms) of the bronze birch borer mine out feeding galleries in the inner bark and as these become extensive, the tree can essentially be girdled.

Many years ago I lived on a property that had a beautiful white birch. The crown died. I climbed my ladder to remove the dead branches because I knew that we are to prune out dead and diseased branches.

Because I had a friend who had a beautiful brass woodbox on her hearth filled with white birch logs for a decorative accent, I thought I had an opportunity to capitalize on what I thought was a fortunate opportunity. The white birch logs on my brick hearth were beautiful even without a brass box. As a young and naive gardener, I never gave the situation another thought.

Late one night while reading, I kept hearing a low gnawing sound. I laid my book aside and listened more intensely. The sound was coming from my prize logs. As I crept closer, the sound got louder. I opened the back door and pitched them into the lawn. My research confirmed that it was birch borers.

The best control for bronze birch borer is to keep the tree healthy as the borer larvae cannot live in healthy trees. Sufficient water is extremely important to birches. In the spring a birch tree may need hundreds of gallons of water a day. If the water reserve is not in the soil, the tree becomes stressed. If lack of water is a chronic condition repeated annually, the tree is almost certain to be targeted by the bronze birch borer. Once infested by borers, the chances of saving the tree are slim. When cutting out die-back, cut well below dead wood and dispose of immediately & don't save as firewood or decorative logs.

To maintain healthy birch trees and enhance their ability to fight off beetle attack and other pests and diseases, keep trees well fertilized and watered. Prune out and destroy old, diseased, or damaged wood. Plant trees in favorable sites where they will not be exposed to excessive heat or drought because birches tend to be sensitive to their environment. Avoid mechanical injuries to the bark and avoid using herbicides around the tree.

If the problem is leaf miners, you can read the leaves for evidence. In June you will see light greenish or grayish splotches where eggs were laid. Blotches usually turn brown. If you are curious, you can hold leaf up to light to see larvae or peel back leaf surface.

Watering the roots in the fall before frost sets in, applying fertilizer each spring, and watering during dry periods in the summer is important because birches have shallow roots. Because some species of miners pupate in fallen leaves, it is import to dispose of all fallen leaves to help eliminate the problem. Other species emerge from the leaves to overwinter and pupate in the soil. A soil drench application of insecticide is recommended for control.

Several insecticides are registered for the control of birch leaf miners. Because not all insecticides are available in all areas, contact your local Dept. of Agriculture Extension Agent for approved chemicals in your area for your particular plant pest or disease problems.

Foliar insecticides should be sprayed on the leaves as the adults are emerging from the soil so that they will be killed when they crawl onto the leaves to lay eggs. Systemic insecticides may be painted on stems or applied as a soil drench in late May after the leaves are fully opened; these measures will kill feeding larvae.

Let's hope that your yellowing leaves are a result of lack of water and that neither borers or leaf miners have found your distressed tree. Contact your local Dept. of Agriculture Extension Agent regarding chemical controls and follow recommendations for maintaining thirsty birches.