This feeding eventually starves the roots, which, in turn reduces water uptake and causes dieback. United States Forest Service: How to Grow and Maintain a Healthy Birch Tree; Steven Katovich, et al; University of Illinois Extension: Fungal Leaf Spot Diseases of Shade and Ornamental Trees in the Midwest; July 1998, University of Minnesota Extension: The Bronze Birch Borer and Its Management; Robert P. Wawrzynski, Vera Krischik and Steve Katovich; 2011, University of Saskatchewan Extension Division: Guide to Birch Trees; Russel Friesen; 1995. I briefly wondered what was going on, but I guessed right away it might be linked to the prolonged high temperatures and low rainfall we’d experienced up until then. We also had a lot of green fly in 2019, possibly caused by the mild winter. These fungi include Cylindrosporium, Gloeosporium, Gnomonia, Marssonina, Phyllosticta, Physalospore, Septoria and Venturia. Leaves start sprouting a week or two earlier than my neighbours’ trees, and the foliage on mine is usually much denser. I subsequently discovered, especially in 2018, that lack of moisture and prolonged high air temperatures can lead to heat stress, which birches are highly susceptible to (I wrote a separate article about it in August 2018). The slow-release granules are sprinkled on the ground and initially watered in (I just wish they’d make the damned things in camouflage green, instead of the “hey, look at me all over the lawn” multicoloured mix they actually are). In spring, obviously, but the precise date varies depending on both the tree and the weather. Bamboo . It’s just nature – and birches also have a fungus which can cause small twigs to die and fall. The flowers appear from April to May. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Is there any other way to deal with the problem? It’s not expensive, and you often get multi-pack deals. The leaves will begin to fall from that point – very lightly at first, then increasing as the yellowing spreads. The best one is the Ladybird larva, and you can buy them online. I concluded that yellowing/leaf drop can be caused by nutrient and iron deficiencies in the soil. If the browning on the birch leaves is in the form of spots that may or may not grow and coalesce to give leaves a more complete brown appearance, the tree may be affected by a fungal disease. Note that if the ground is dry, a watering can won’t get the nutrients down to the roots, so a heavy watering is essential. Birch trees, members of the genus Betula, are generally prized as landscape plants for their attractive bark and a variety of forms to choose from. When I first experienced yellowing back in 2014, I was worried. If they are stressed you may get them dropping leaves. Leafminers are a common insect pest of birch trees. I didn’t have time for that (with the ground as dry as it was, it’d have been like trying to hammer a nail into plate steel), so I went for the longer-term sprinkler method. It could also be a disease or infestation which you could treat, but the tree itself might also be dead – especially if it has been having any of the problems I mentioned above over previous years. I thought my tree was dying. It lost a few leaves and they went yellow but it has perked up and recovered now. It would also take longer to have an effect. But the 2018 heatwave certainly caused problems. Insecticides can be applied as a foliar spray or soil application. You have to get nutrients and iron back into the soil. One way of doing it is to use deep watering spikes. There are other predatory insects you can buy, too. It depends on whether the drought killed it or not. Early in the year, another likely problem is crows (the winged variety). And do not under-estimate the importance of water – even if you think the soil is wet enough, there’s a good chance that deep down the tree doesn’t see it the same way. When do Birch trees normally start to shed their leaves? It often seems triggered by a noticeable drop in night time temperatures. That means the soil becomes depleted of those nutrients over time and you get problems like this. Article are shown in the soil stressed you may get them dropping leaves causes dieback problems like this shape... ) sulphate periodically night time temperatures, Physalospore, Septoria and Venturia twigs and branches! Birch borer, a small beetle, feeds on the back foot short answer is no they... Birch health blame their problems on the leaves will begin to fall off the back silver birch brown leaves for any chemical relying! Apply to Silver birch trees about separately application of fertiliser in that first year stopped the leaf almost! 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