Help please...skinny silver birch

happydays_70

Planted a silver birch from our local garden centre about 5 years ago..it is growing in height but has no width or real change in trunk. It is planted in the corner of my garden..quite shady, quite wet area. I researched this before I bought it and all reviews said it would be fine in those conditions.
Is there anything I can do to increase its chances of growing better?
Help please

flea72

I thought silver birches were tall with thin trunks? Do you have a pic?

lostinrates

If its so e where shady it will be growing tall to reach for light I guess, rather than solid to strengthen.

happydays_70

No this is only slightly taller than when I got it and still looks like a very young sample.

lostinrates

Is the area around the tree weed / plant free?

Itismehonest

Silver birch does tend to be fairly whispy but, if the soil is damp & in shade, it is probably really struggling. Is it possible to improve the drainage at all?

annie123

There is a difference between damp soil and wet.
They will be fine in damp soil which would dry out in summer but not in wet soil or soil that is wet all year round.
They spend the first few years putting down their deep roots, then they will add height and depth to the trunk after.
They will grow in shady sites, but will live rather than thrive in deep shade.

I planted 5 close together behind a medium size willow tree in my sons garden 8 years ago, only over the last few years have they really put on growth and the trunk started to thicken. I also added phosphorus the first few years to help the roots get going. Silver Birches won't grow in woods low in it.

Assuming your soil is damp rather than wet, and that it gets some sun rather than none, if I were you I'd give it some growmore just to give it a boost.

happydays_70

Thanks Annie123..Will try the grow more. The area is quite clayey..I would say damp rather than wet.

happydays_70

Itismehonest...I can't do anything to the drainage. It is dry in the summer but the wet months are wet. The soil does dry out but in the wet months takes longer and stays damp.

annie123

happydays_70 wrote: »

Thanks Annie123..Will try the grow more. The area is quite clayey..I would say damp rather than wet.

My sons garden has heavy clay soil so you'll be fine with yours.