Silver birch pruning

jaffacakes

Hi all, my neighbors decided to prune some overhanging braches on my birch tree. That's all fine but I'm worried with sap rising it might kill the tree? What do you all think? Some braches about arm thickness ☹️
Thanks all

Pete.8

It's not the ideal time of year, but there's not much else you can do now other than cross your fingers.
A property down the road has a mature birch from which they had about 20ft removed from the top in summer 2019 - it looks ridiculous now, but the harsh treatment doesn't seemed to have harmed it

I did 'tap' a birch we had in the garden when I was a lad - it made a nice if not very flavourful wine

jaffacakes

Thanks Pete. They didn't take too much off thankfully but it's a fairly big tree so think it's quite old. Guess it's just wait and see time. 

nick615

jaffacakes  I agree that November to January is the optimum period for lopping any tree, as you say while the sap is down, but this is Ireland and rules tend to go out of the window when it suits.  I'd gamble that it won't be fatal, but any householder has the right to cut back overhanging branches and one only has to hope the neighbour concerned will play the game responsibly.

jaffacakes

Birtch tree is now bursting into leaf and don't see any sap flowing from cut so hopefully all is ok

Pete.8

Good to hear