Hey Baz (or others..), does my poor tree even stand a chance?

[2porscheguy]

12 Year old Cutleaf weeping birch:






I just got back from a 2 week vacation in Hawaii and came home to this really sad sight ! We've had an extremely dry winter and spring here in southern Alberta and I unfortunately didn't water it much until now. I've got the hose running on low constantly for the last 2 days. What else can I do to possibly save her? FYI we are considered to be in a growing zone 3 here.

[Rinty]

Hope you can save it.

[jpk]

I just lost a large tripple stemmed birch in a simmilar way. I don't think it can recover - you'll find the wood in the upper part is dry and dead.

[Craig T]

We're losing our birches here too! I had four. Only one is still alive.

[stomachmonkey]

Scrape away at the bark in the upper areas.

If it's green, gives, and is moist may be OK, if hard and dry that part is dead.

[Crowbob]

Bronze Birch Borer is on the rise.

[Tobra]

Cut off the dead part now and you might save what is left. Better off taking the whole thing down. Can't remember the treatment for borers of the top of my head, but I don't have to, INTERNETS FTW
Tree Borers

Replant with something more resistant to borers, white birch, for example.

[billybek]

I had a cut leaf birch taken down a couple of years ago. It died top down just like yours. The final straw was a Northern Flicker bored a perfect hole into the dead section and the rest of the tree quickly died out.

They are kind of ugly trees anyway.

City put a new elm where the old birch once was and it is thriving

[Crowbob]

And if it's like most elms, it will die when the trunk attains a diameter of 8-10 inches (or less).

That Northern Flicker was probably going after a borer (or making a new home).

Ash trees are going away, too. Emerald Ash Borer being the culprit.

[Baz]

Hey Alex.....I'm not very educated on Birch trees and can't really tell from your photos what's going on. I suggest you contact a local tree service or if you have a local branch of your Agriculture dept with someone versed on that species who could offer some insight.

Sorry I can't help more. Losing a tree sucks but it will give you a space to re-plant something different and that's always a positive.

Good luck!

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

And if it's like most elms, it will die when the trunk attains a diameter of 8-10 inches (or less).

That Northern Flicker was probably going after a borer (or making a new home).

Ash trees are going away, too. Emerald Ash Borer being the culprit.

Two weeks after we moved into our house our ash tree dropped all its leaves and died. We have had to remove all our pine trees as well but are holding out hope for our large spruce but it is looking a bit straggly. It has recovered some though.

[Craig T]

We are having an epidemic of tree deaths in Ventura County. I have lost my birches, but also two huge olive trees and a redwood. When you drive through Thousand Oaks or Moorpark, CA, streets that were once lined with beautiful redwoods are now lined with dead and brown skeletons.

I had an arborist out in an attempt to save my olive trees. I asked what was killing the trees. His quick reply..."Global Warming".

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Ash trees are going away, too. Emerald Ash Borer being the culprit.

I have a 10 acre farm surrounded on two sides with a creek/tree line, and another side is a grown up fencerow. All told, I have over 100 standing dead ash trees, anywhere from 6" to 36" thick from the emerald ash borers that came through a few years back.

It's good firewood, but I would rather have the trees. I have been re-planting wild grown red maple, and oak saplings in place of the ash trees when I find them.

[Tobra]

A lot of it is stress from lack of water. Get some soaker hose, run it around the drip line of your shade trees, and water them using that. When I plant my trees, I will put a piece of PVC pipe with a cap on the buried end, drill some holes in it and stick it a few feet into the ground to facilitate deep watering. I will also make some holes around the drip line using a hydraulic auger thing. It hooks to the hose and makes it easy to drill a hole about 3 feet deep. Lay the soaker hose along those holes and deep water every week or two.

global warming my ass

[2porscheguy]

Thanks guys! In the end I'll probably end up choppin' her down in the fall for firewood. I'll consult with a local arborist in the meantime.

[billybek]

Originally Posted by 2porscheguy

Thanks guys! In the end I'll probably end up choppin' her down in the fall for firewood. I'll consult with a local arborist in the meantime.

Don't do that if it is a city tree!
They will charge you to replace it. Call them and tell them it is dying out and a hazard (falling limbs) and you want it removed. Ask the crew if they can leave behind the big chunks.
Then get on the tree replacement program. Choose a tree, they install it at the old location.
Disregard all the above it is not a city tree!

[2porscheguy]

Originally Posted by billybek

Don't do that if it is a city tree!
They will charge you to replace it. Call them and tell them it is dying out and a hazard (falling limbs) and you want it removed. Ask the crew if they can leave behind the big chunks.
Then get on the tree replacement program. Choose a tree, they install it at the old location.
Disregard all the above it is not a city tree!

Bill, I'm in the MD of Rockyview (Springbank) so, no it's not a city tree.

.....timberrrr!