While in the wild or in seemingly endlessly large gardens, having the largest, lushest possible tree is every gardener's dream, with less space the main goal is to keep the birch tree small. Find out here how to ensure that your birch tree does not exceed a certain level.
How to keep a birch tree small?
To keep a birch tree small, you should cut back the crown regularly, use a small bucket, repot regularly and pay attention to adequate care. This way the birch tree stays compact and doesn't grow too big for the desired location.
How to keep your birch tree small
Sometimes less is simply more: For the birch in the pot, in the smaller garden and especially for the increasingly popular birch on the balcony, it is crucial that the tree does not exceed a certain height. This is usually around two to three, at most ten meters. Naturally, the intensively growing birch trees, which reach a height of 25 to 30 meters, are not the most suitable plants for this. But with the following methods it works.
Keep the crown small and compact
To keep the tree small, it is not enough to thin out the crown once a year. In addition to the autumn pruning time, which is recommended for birch trees, you also have to do it several times in the summer to maintain the shape. Since the trees pump water particularly intensively during these times, they will “bleed” at the interfaces, meaning larger amounts of water will flow out. To avoid rot, you should immediately treat the areas with wound closure paste (€26.00 on Amazon). Also be careful not to cut the leading branch, otherwise the tree may no longer thrive at all.
Choose a small pot and repot regularly
Basically, the less space the roots have, i.e. the smaller the pot, the less they will grow upwards. So start with pots about the size of cleaning buckets and choose slightly larger models over the years when repotting.
Birches in pots benefit from occasional fertilizer applications. This does not cause their growth to explode, but rather ensures an adequate supply of nutrients. Regular repotting every one to two years also has a supporting effect. By renewing the surrounding soil, the birch will receive fresh nutrients again. Still, stick to the same type of soil. Leave the root ball untouched or just cut out a few wedges. A root cut is only necessary in rare cases and requires some experience.
Care instructions
- Commercial bonsai soil is an optimal substrate for birch trees in pots.
- Provide sufficient watering so that the tree can easily cope with even the limited opportunities to spread. Water baths are ideal in summer.
- The light-hungry birch trees need intense sun. Contrary to a common misconception, depriving them of light will not keep them small, but will cause them to die.