Show your birch / betula

[Aeast]

Spring update!

 

[Colorado]

Here’s my Japanese White Birch forest

 

[ralf]

Betula verrucosa_90 cm , autumn 2020

 

[TomB]

Duplicate - please ignore

 

[TomB]

Hiya Tom

Hows the tree doing? I think yours is the first mention ive seen about a successful ground layer of a birch. Please could you let me know how you performed the groundlayer? How is the tree doing now?

Thanks

Ali

I sold this about a year ago, it was still healthy at the time.
Regarding technique, just look at the pictures in the post you quoted - they show everything. No rooting hormone used, just a pot of standard bonsai mix.

 

[Bonsai Orange County]

Contiguous Root European White “Silver” Birch

 

[Paulpash]

Pic of my Birch in Autumn, lovely butter yellow. This year I've reduced the top to improve flow, taper and to use thinner branches near the apex. I'll post an update when I wire it out.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Unlike my backside my Betula looks like it's a little behind. That's the biggest bud.

 

[SC1989]

Old white birch stump collected April '21 off the rocky shore of lake superior.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

One of my mutant birches. Popped up in the yard about 12 years ago, in this pot for 3. Next year it needs a real pot. I’ll post some other mutant birches I have when I can get pics.

 

[Dysfunctional Vet]

Ive had this one for almost 15 years. First attempt at root over rock. Exposed roots about 4 years ago. It will never be show worthy but cool to look at. Lol

yardadoried this one in the spring. Had crazy roots so I wrapped them around a rock, chopped the upper half that I had grown for few years. It was too straight and didn’t look right so now to grow a new top. Booooooooooo

 

[berzerkules]

I probably have entirely too many birch, they are everywhere up here and seem to thrive so I work with what I have. If count all my little seedlings I have at least 60 birch maybe more, I try not to count. I'm only in my second year so every birch I have has been collected this year, last year or volunteers that sprouted in my pots that I transplanted this spring. Long way to go.
Here are a few random ones I had pictures of.

 

[MMJNICE]

I dug this little birch (Downy birch, Betula pubescens I think) last November and immediately ground layered it. The original trunk and root system were cut off late this summer, I'll pot it up properly in the spring. It was pruned a couple of times during the growing season and has responded well so far.
I'm hoping to turn it into an interesting, if slightly unconventional, shohin tree - it's about 20cm tall.





I have pushed this one pretty hard, but it has survived so far and seems vigorous. And if it dies, well... it was free.

Wow.. ballsy.. I kinda liked the twisted tunk I can't lie.. but yea if you mean free as spending over an hour probably digging to get it free ..free.. heheheh

 

[parhamr]

My multi-trunk and/or informal broom continues to do well. These are a satisfying genus! You can see a mix of partial defoliation technique and a new flush of foliage.



It’s growing so healthy and will soon be difficult to claim as a shohin size.

 

[berzerkules]

These are a satisfying genus!

They really are. I enjoy playing with birch. Feels like they have a mind of their own with individual personalities. I can try and get them to do what I want but sometimes I just have to work with what they give me. Guess it kind of makes sense, there are several species up here and they hybridize so there can be a lot of variations. Too much fun.

 

[Alaskanrocket]

This is one I collected in April. Lacking in any uniqueness for sure. Not sure what direction Im going to go yet, Im currently letting it adjust to pot life until next spring. Couple ideas I had was hard chop, split trunk and bend (not sure how birch would take to that.)

 

[Tobi-tobi]

This are mine. The big one is new.

 

[berzerkules]

New addition. Pretty sure it's a large betula nana. I did see some glandulosa in the area as well so it could be that. Either way its a bushy little birch.

 

[cishepard]

Two birch yamadori dug up in 2018 and 2021. The first one is developing the new leader nicely. Wired winter silhouette:


The second one, I’m not sure where to go with. Maybe the branches need to be chopped and restarted. At least they have neat white bark, I really love birches!

 

[berzerkules]

Here are a few more birch from a flat of minis. I enjoy these little ones a lot more than I thought I would. I might fall down the mame hole.