Silver Birch bark

Guernsey Donkey2

I planted a couple of Silver Birch trees a year ago, and would like to encourage white bark.  One tree has obliged my attempts of peeling, but the other tree is proving more difficult to peel.  Any suggestions - I don't want to use a knife - would a damp scrubbing brush help?

Silver surfer

Only certain sp of Birch have the pure white bark.
Then it develops with age.
i wouldn't  recommend peeling the bark.
Keen gardeners do do out to wash the trunks!

Rubytoo

Are they the same cultivar?
Leave well alone it will happen...don't you have enough to be doing with feeding H-hogs and keeping Echiums upright.

Helix

I have been know to wash my smaller birch tree....so no poking fun please!

Yes, leave it be to happen naturally.  Unless of course it’s a non-peeling variety in which case it won’t!

hogweed

What variety is it @Guernsey Donkey2 ? There are some varieties grown specifically for their white bark but if it is just a common birch tree, it will get white bark as it grows older - a LOT older. If you really really want a pure white stem on a tree that size, assuming it is just any old birch, you could put a coat of whitewash on it...……...

Guernsey Donkey2

The Silver Birch we have is called Snow Queen - the clue is in the name - so does it's now pale brown trunk automatically turn white without any intervention.  Yes, I know I have lots to do already @Rubytoo , but this trunk is just calling out to be white - with or without my help.

Rubytoo

It must be a bit annoying when one has gone as it should , but not the other.
Wonder if the weather as well as position has made it slower, compared to the other one.

On a few sites it says the young ones have rich brown bark which changes as the tree matures. As other posters have already said about waiting, I would go with their advice, but understand your eagerness to make it white.
So far I have not seen any suggestions to hurry it up while looking online.

One made a reference to the trunk size in that they do not get white bark until the trunk is an inch in circumference?
But I would imagine it is a bit subjective.

@Muddle-Up you made me laugh about the not being able to resist.

I have to say I have silvery birch envy. I would really like one or three. There is just no space here for another tree.

Good Luck with it though I hope it changes soon for you before you go mad

Chrissy the gardener

I have two snow queens which I choose because they have white bark quite early on but your tree looks quite young so be patient.
I wouldn’t wash the trunk yet it might damage it and I don’t think you would get the result of a white bark.
I started washing the trunks of mine after they got a white trunk not before.

matt_fender

@Chrissy the gardener your tree looks great! Can I ask how old it is? I too am a member of the Snowqueen gang - I put one in over winter last. Still just a whip really, and no sign of white bark yet of course, but curious to know how long it will be until it gets to the size of yours.

Guernsey Donkey2

Thanks for all your comments and @Chrissy the gardener with a wonderful picture of your Snow Queen, which looks to be a year or two older than mine (I have two - planted approx 18 months ago).  There is hope for my Snow Queen yet then - as I have mentioned one trunk is easy to peel, the other more stubborn - I won't force it, but every few weeks I have a little tinker with it, just to help it along.....

Chrissy the gardener

Thanks for the nice comments,
i planted this tree about eight years ago and it was a three year old tree then.
Ive planted a multi stem snow queen at the beginning of this year, it was a field grown three year old tree and it is just showing colour.