I like birch a lot (as does everyone) but I don't see many as Bonsai, in fact I have only seen one, that was here, styled as an informal upright but nothing like a birch. Consequently I see no definitive info on Birch other than what makes them bad Bonsai. I have heard the negative traits include, very soft wood, dieback (dropping complete branches), producing suckers rather than back budding when cutback or chopped and a trait of one root feeds one branch (I don't know what it is called) resulting in half a dead trunk.
So, rather than ask a few questions (what I normally do) I will put down what I have and go forward from here and hopefully this thread will accumulate some positive info for others to follow. I noticed a progression series started for Silver Birch, this can ride tandem to that one, maybe they're the same maybe not.
Mine were started from seed, 80 seeds, three saplings, one died, resulting in two trees. I don't know what went wrong with the stratification and germination, the seeds were so small I couldn't tell if they were husk seed or seed in husks. They were germinated in long sphagnum moss, it's possible I did not find and plant some or most of them, possible they were thrown out with the sfagnum moss (funny it's pronounced Spaghnum like spaghetti, LOL. Don't you just love English)
Here they are the first year.
They have had the roots pruned each year but 2020. Here they are @ one year: the two grown together, the two trunks and the forth shot, some dieback after at the 2019 transplant
So, rather than ask a few questions (what I normally do) I will put down what I have and go forward from here and hopefully this thread will accumulate some positive info for others to follow. I noticed a progression series started for Silver Birch, this can ride tandem to that one, maybe they're the same maybe not.
Mine were started from seed, 80 seeds, three saplings, one died, resulting in two trees. I don't know what went wrong with the stratification and germination, the seeds were so small I couldn't tell if they were husk seed or seed in husks. They were germinated in long sphagnum moss, it's possible I did not find and plant some or most of them, possible they were thrown out with the sfagnum moss (funny it's pronounced Spaghnum like spaghetti, LOL. Don't you just love English)
Here they are the first year.
They have had the roots pruned each year but 2020. Here they are @ one year: the two grown together, the two trunks and the forth shot, some dieback after at the 2019 transplant