How much to prune off tree

[FresnoBob]

Hi folks,

Wonder if you can give me a bit of general advice. I'm looking to lop quite a bit off a tree (approx 20 years old) as it's been allowed to grow quite tall and is quite close to the house (around 3 metres). It's started to interfere with the (limited lol) view that we have from the bedroom window. I'm looking to cut away everything above the red line.

Would rather not remove the tree altogether if I can.

Would this be possible or would it end up damaging the tree in some way?

Thanks.

 

[Arthur2shedsJackson]

I can't see why it would damage the tree, as long as you cut it cleanly and don't rip bark off below the cut.
You can get sealer if you want to cover up the open surface.

As per this link
http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/garden-care/fruit-vegetable-garden/prune-seal

 

[r896neo]

Sorry for the bad news but birch don't really enjoy being topped like that and to be honest it destroys the shape of the tree so that it will forever look odd.

You either need to prune them early and develop a multi-stemmed style or leave them to grow as a single leader, in my opinion all other shapes look really bad for silver birch.

It may be better to remove it and replace with something more suitable.

 

[FresnoBob]

Well, an expert I spoke to claimed there's only so much you can trim off the "crown" (much less than I want to cut) and seemed to be suggesting that it would cause it some sort of harm to the tree itself .

I appreciate cutting it at the point I've marked won't look perfect, but it will look a lot better than some of the butchered trees around the local area, which consist of just stumps with leaves sprouting out lol.

 

[FresnoBob]

Sorry for the bad news but birch don't really enjoy being topped like that and to be honest it destroys the shape of the tree so that it will forever look odd.

You either need to prune them early and develop a multi-stemmed style or leave them to grow as a single leader, in my opinion all other shapes look really bad for silver birch.

It may be better to remove it and replace with something more suitable.

We've lived in the house for 11 years, but as tennants, and the Housing Association employ their own landscaping team and don't like people messing with the trees. When we bought the house 2 years ago and the land at the front, the tree became ours, but in that time it's shot up considerably.

I'd be really loathe to cut it down altogether. How much would you think could be taken away without it being any way detrimental to the tree or the look of the tree?

 

[Arthur2shedsJackson]

Well it's not going to die if you take as much as you want off it, so as long as you're allowed to cut it back,what's stopping you?

 

[wotan]

personally I would cut it off at the base, it's too close to the house, replant something more suitable.

 

[r896neo]

It could die but very unlikely, theory says they are suceptible to major rot if topped as frankly many trees are. In practise i have seen plenty of silver birch that have survived fine but just don't look great.

 

[FresnoBob]

The prune seal stuff in the link above should help with the potential rot issue though shouldn't it?

I'm loathe to chop the whole tree down (I'm a big tree lover), so I'm hoping so.

I'm confident it wont look completely stupid cutting it there (at least not as bad as some of the butchered trees I've seen around here). It's getting massive, could do with reducing it and keeping it in check.

....just got the neighbours trees to worry about now lol.

 

[FresnoBob]

....another tree like ours (Silver Birch?) and that massive Conifer btw lol