Thanks Rebecca, so much - have a video to upload for the morning that you'll really enjoy I think - a bonus one for all you brilliant supporters! Best wishes, Joel
Hi Patricia. Thanks so much for commenting. I’m so glad the channel is providing some entertainment and information for you 😊 Lots more to come in the coming weeks. All the best for this year. Joel
Thanks mate. Yeah it’s been steady over the last few weeks, but hoping to have some more time to get some uploads onto the channel throughout January 😁👍
The birch is also the final tree up the tree line .. its one of the last species of trees to be found when ascending a mountain . As it explores new grounds to pioneer... thanks for the wonderful video Joel .. and yeah this video is an epitome of british weather itself.
This channel is fantastic. You are arming wildlife enthusiasts with the knowledge to rewild their gardens! I am trying to persuade my mate to plant a silver birch in his new garden atm and will use this vid!
Thank you. What a lovely comment to read, I really do appreciate your support and encouragement. Please do share the video and if there's further convincing required then don't hesitate to let me know ;) If you go to the recent videos on the channel you will see the 4 year old Birch I have in the front garden, I hope this helps. Best wishes, and thanks again - Joel
Silver Birch.. beautiful trees and one you just have to admire. Thanks for this one Joel. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and hoping the New Year luck, health and happiness 🙂👍
A really beautiful, versatile and fast growing pioneer/nursery tree Joe with many wildlife and practical benefits... Sugary birch sap and combustible oily bark/twigs to name two 😊. It is one of my favourite wildlife service station trees. As always Joe, thank you for the inspiration that you provide. Paul 👍😊
Hi Paul. Happy new year to you. I didn’t know about the consumable twigs/bark so, thank you. It certainly is a great service tree, as you say. So pleased you are enjoying the videos. Lots more to come over the next few weeks 😊👍 Take care and all the best for the new year
Thanks for the video Joel. We have 3 silver birch. Long-tailed title love them. I was very interested in all the info you shared. Have a great Christmas🎄
Wow - they sound lovely. I’m so glad you’re noticing the benefits they bring to a garden. So pleased you’re still enjoying the videos. Thank you and all the best for the year ahead. Who knows, maybe I’ll get to yours later this year….?! 😁
One of my favourites too - such a lovely light form. I didn't know of the coppicing possibilities. Very helpful, thanks. All the best to you and yours for the year ahead. :-).
I love a Silver Birch - there's something magical about them to me🤩 But then all trees are special to me lol. Great video as always! And wishing you continued growth and success for 2022 and beyond👌🏽💙💚
So funny to watch your videos from North America. The techniques are often the same for my area but almost all of the wildflowers and native species you recommend for your area are dreaded invasives in mine. Just goes to show that the best plants for everyone’s gardens are the plants which are native to the area.
Hi. Yes, it’s interesting how some plants are considered invasive in different parts of the world, yet cherished in others. I know purple loosestrife is classed as invasive in North America. Thank you for commenting and all the best for the new year. 😊👍
I like this tree pouteria lucuma too.it has both sweet and fatty fruit.this fruit is edible too.it's very delicious. Welcome to my garden I have some birds too.
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I have some spotted doves,zebra doves,olive winged bulbuls and a lot of sparrows. Pouteria lucuma can grow in wide range of weather and it don't need much care
ua-cam.com/video/W4R2SSvYEeU/v-deo.html These 2 fruits are looking alike. I have eaten both of them and they are all delicious and similar to the other
I have quite a few of these growing on my property in Canada amongst the spruce and fir trees and you are right in saying they do attract birds as they were quite a few around when we visited there to purchase the lot a couple of years ago. There was also a magnificent Osprey looking for a tasty snack perched on a tree on that day which I managed to film too. Great informative video as always Joel. Have a Merry Christmas in the company of friends and family and a Happy New Year 2022.
Wow. Your plot sounds amazing! Will have to come see it one day! 😁 Yes, they really are a great tree. Hope you guys have had a good one and speak soon 👍
Might just have to make a bit of space to fit one in, they look pretty cool and as you say support a lot of wildlife. Hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and I look forward to more videos in the new year 🎄
Thanks Mark. You won’t regret it - they’re a wonderful tree and well suited to small - medium gardens. Take care and all the best for the year ahead 👍😊
The Silver Birch is one tree we do not see down here, I think the summer temperatures could be the problem, good advice about planting them small, they really do much better, and soon outgrown larger Birches planted at the same time, the really good thing about them is they do not shade out the understory, the leaves are very sparse and allow almost all flower species to thrive under them, they are a huge attraction for the tit family, due, as you say, to the high number of moth species that feed on them. Happy Christmas to yo Joel, and many thanks for all the wonderful videos you have given us over the year! Chris B.
Thanks Chris - hope you’ve had a good Christmas. Yes - I would imagine the climate isn’t quite right for them where you are. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the videos throughout the year - I’m hoping to get a few on the Chanel in January 👍
Loving the videos mate, just found the channel a few days ago. Have shared with people on a local nature group that I'm part of. I try to make my garden as wildlife friendly as possible. I live quite close to Elmley Nature Reserve in Kent and enjoy going there. I'd love to purchase and rewild a piece of land in a few years time
Awesome, thank you so much Jamie, your encouragement and kind words really do make a difference. I have lots more videos (circa 50 in fact!) to upload and share, it's just finding the time, but I'll keep at it - so much difference can be made in our own small spaces that they could rival even the best of nature reserves :) Really appreciate this - best wishes, Joel
Good post, thanks. Birch coppices very well indeed and it is worth thinking about planting some if you have a veg. patch and like to grow peas, sweet peas or dwarf french beans. Harvest the coppice at 2-3 years (a bit longer if you like sweet peas), leave side branches on, point the butts and push in along a row of peas as they emerge. When the vines stop producing, pull up the whole row including the sticks and compost the lot - if you can chip it, so much the better. They rot down fast and with the nitrogen in the pea vines (they are nitrogen fixers) make good compost fast. A coppice worker friend used to sell birch pea sticks into Wisley for their climbing annual trial beds..... As a pioneer, they can really boost the natural succession from open ground to high forest. I was told years ago that their leaves can accumulate calcium ions so on acid sites, they can help raise the pH of the soil.
Thank you - sorry, been a bit caught up and just going through comments again. This is great advice and makes perfect sense, I've still got to have a look at your fantastic channel properly and will do soon - really appreciate this, best wishes - Joel
@@anemone104 I managed to find time to view 2 videos earlier and would recommend anyone that sees this comment has a look at your channel too as there's vital advice and experience there - hopefully uploading another find tonight if I get time, but you no doubt appreciate how long it takes to edit and upload to YT, anything longer than 2 minutes is rather a mission! ;) Will come back to see the other videos you've uploaded real son - hope you have a great weekend - Joel
Thanks so much for this. You have inspired us to plant birches in our front and back garden (in Oxford, UK). Can you tell me if it would make a big difference to the wildlife we attract whether we plant Himalayan Birch, rather than silver birch? I know the Himalayan is not native but I'm not clear on how significant the difference would be.
Hi Joel. Thanks for this and all the other wonderful videos. I hope you have a lovely Christmas. If you can manage to find time to have a look in the attic I would be very grateful. Best wishes from Mark.
Hi there - being in a pot will certainly hold it back from growing too much, ie the roots will be constricted more than if it was in "free" soil - hope this helps and that you can love the tree even more :) One of my favourites - have a good weekend - Joel
@@rainbowvisionart8025 Thank you for letting me know it helped - they can be coppiced at a young age, just let me know how it goes :) Have a good weekend - Joel
60-90 years is an average, a few specimens have apparently reached 150 years, which seems a long time but compared to others it's quite short-lived. Rest assured they provide such vital habitat and food though while they're here :) Best wishes, Joel
Great vid . Can you give me some more information on copicing birch ? What size at the stump at maximum? How many times can they be copiced? Thanks in advance
Hi there Joe - I would recommend "Betula Pendula" as this will help the most associated insects in the UK, compared to different varieties. I hope this helps, best wishes - Joel
Hi, I have an ivy covered stump in my Garden from an old dead silver Birch that the previous home owner had cut down. A few years ago two new shoots appeared which i left to their own devices. trouble is they are both growing at 45 degrees for the first 6 feet before straitening up. I will have get rid of the as they may break off and damage next doors sheds. Which silver Birch do you think would suit a garden about 30 feet wide and sixty /seventy feet long. The shoots are a lovely white colour, so it is a shame they have to go.
Hi there! Firstly, what you have there is such a good candidate for vital "standing deadwood" so if you can keep that ivy covered part in the ground it will not only make a nice feature but so vital to a lot of insects and small wildlife. In my own front garden I have planted Betula Pendula and you can see the size of the garden here: ua-cam.com/video/4kwL5eYfVuw/v-deo.html Don't forget to cut up any shoots/branches that you need removed and pile up for more habitat :) Best wishes, Joel
Absolutely they can! Silver birch is a fast-growing tree and can be sown later in the year and still produce good growth in one season. Best to sow during April on seedbeds or in a pot though, and keep them moist - hope this helps, best wishes - Joel
Thanks Nick - appreciated - later tonight I'll be uploading a video of an absolutely fantastic forest I visited that is just row after row of Silver Birch - can't wait to share it :) Best wishes, Joel
Fantastic channel , nearly the last cuts of the year for me too
Just about to plant some silver birch next month :)
Nice ❤tree 🌴❤❤
Your work and knowlege is invaluable. Wonderful
Thanks Rebecca, so much - have a video to upload for the morning that you'll really enjoy I think - a bonus one for all you brilliant supporters! Best wishes, Joel
Also love silver birch and have one that is over 50 years old in my garden. Enjoy your channel. Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Hi Patricia. Thanks so much for commenting. I’m so glad the channel is providing some entertainment and information for you 😊 Lots more to come in the coming weeks. All the best for this year. Joel
Great video Joel glad to see you back on UA-cam 👍🏻🐸💚🐸
Thanks mate. Yeah it’s been steady over the last few weeks, but hoping to have some more time to get some uploads onto the channel throughout January 😁👍
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton that’s great Joel looking forward to them 🐸💚🐸
Love The Silver Birch,there is a big beauty opposite my home! Always full of birds🕊🐦
The birch is also the final tree up the tree line .. its one of the last species of trees to be found when ascending a mountain . As it explores new grounds to pioneer... thanks for the wonderful video Joel .. and yeah this video is an epitome of british weather itself.
Hey :) I missed this, sorry - get in touch soon please as we need to catch up - great info on the birch, thank you :) Best wishes - Joel
I love Birch Trees! Glad you're having a chance to slow down just a bit. Merry Christmas to you and yours from "across The Pond"!
Thank you very much - I’m looking forward to some time off, that’s for sure 😊 Hope you’ve had a good one over there! 👍
This channel is fantastic. You are arming wildlife enthusiasts with the knowledge to rewild their gardens! I am trying to persuade my mate to plant a silver birch in his new garden atm and will use this vid!
Thank you. What a lovely comment to read, I really do appreciate your support and encouragement. Please do share the video and if there's further convincing required then don't hesitate to let me know ;) If you go to the recent videos on the channel you will see the 4 year old Birch I have in the front garden, I hope this helps. Best wishes, and thanks again - Joel
Just planted 420 trees for my local community from thr woodland trust
Silver Birch.. beautiful trees and one you just have to admire. Thanks for this one Joel. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and hoping the New Year luck, health and happiness 🙂👍
Thanks Mick. Hope you’ve had a good one. Here’s to the new year and many more videos and uploads for you guys 😊👍
Thanks for the video - you've convinced me to put 3 Snow Queens in my new build garden, along with a couple of Rowans and some Elder!
Good to know! I planted one of these two years ago 😊 Merry Christmas Joel and thanks for the update 👍
Thanks Tommy. How’s it developing? I hope you’ve had a nice break and best of wishes for the year ahead. Take care 😊👍
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Well I haven’t killed it yet 😉
@@englishtommy3039 they’re pretty tough mate 😉😆
A really beautiful, versatile and fast growing pioneer/nursery tree Joe with many wildlife and practical benefits... Sugary birch sap and combustible oily bark/twigs to name two 😊. It is one of my favourite wildlife service station trees. As always Joe, thank you for the inspiration that you provide. Paul 👍😊
Hi Paul. Happy new year to you. I didn’t know about the consumable twigs/bark so, thank you. It certainly is a great service tree, as you say. So pleased you are enjoying the videos. Lots more to come over the next few weeks 😊👍 Take care and all the best for the new year
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Always a pleasure Joe. Happy New Year to you also. Keep up the great work. Inspirational. Paul 👍😊
@@PaulOutdoors thanks so much Paul 😊👍
Thanks for the video Joel. We have 3 silver birch. Long-tailed title love them. I was very interested in all the info you shared. Have a great Christmas🎄
Wow - they sound lovely. I’m so glad you’re noticing the benefits they bring to a garden. So pleased you’re still enjoying the videos. Thank you and all the best for the year ahead. Who knows, maybe I’ll get to yours later this year….?! 😁
One of my favourites too - such a lovely light form. I didn't know of the coppicing possibilities. Very helpful, thanks. All the best to you and yours for the year ahead. :-).
Thanks so much Norman. I’m glad you got something from the video. All the best for this year 😊👍
Another great video dropping the knowledge 😊 I've already got 3 silver birch whips to plant over the winter 👍
Hi. Thanks for commenting. That’s great to know you are planting more trees for wildlife 😊 Keep up the good work 👍
I love a Silver Birch - there's something magical about them to me🤩 But then all trees are special to me lol. Great video as always! And wishing you continued growth and success for 2022 and beyond👌🏽💙💚
And to you too! Thanks so much, your encouragement really does make a difference. Here's to many more habitats in 2020 :) Best wishes, Joel
So funny to watch your videos from North America. The techniques are often the same for my area but almost all of the wildflowers and native species you recommend for your area are dreaded invasives in mine. Just goes to show that the best plants for everyone’s gardens are the plants which are native to the area.
Hi. Yes, it’s interesting how some plants are considered invasive in different parts of the world, yet cherished in others. I know purple loosestrife is classed as invasive in North America. Thank you for commenting and all the best for the new year. 😊👍
Super info. Thank you. Just readingThe hidden life of trees which is why I googled this!!
I like this tree pouteria lucuma too.it has both sweet and fatty fruit.this fruit is edible too.it's very delicious. Welcome to my garden I have some birds too.
Wow. That sounds like a wonderful tree. What birds do you get in your garden?
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I have some spotted doves,zebra doves,olive winged bulbuls and a lot of sparrows. Pouteria lucuma can grow in wide range of weather and it don't need much care
ua-cam.com/video/W4R2SSvYEeU/v-deo.html
These 2 fruits are looking alike. I have eaten both of them and they are all delicious and similar to the other
ua-cam.com/video/lm5ztPzjmyU/v-deo.html
@@wildbirdsinthecity3872 wow. That sounds amazing! Where do you live in the world?
I have quite a few of these growing on my property in Canada amongst the spruce and fir trees and you are right in saying they do attract birds as they were quite a few around when we visited there to purchase the lot a couple of years ago. There was also a magnificent Osprey looking for a tasty snack perched on a tree on that day which I managed to film too. Great informative video as always Joel. Have a Merry Christmas in the company of friends and family and a Happy New Year 2022.
Wow. Your plot sounds amazing! Will have to come see it one day! 😁 Yes, they really are a great tree. Hope you guys have had a good one and speak soon 👍
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you Joel. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year🎅🎄🎉🎆.
Might just have to make a bit of space to fit one in, they look pretty cool and as you say support a lot of wildlife. Hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and I look forward to more videos in the new year 🎄
Thanks Mark. You won’t regret it - they’re a wonderful tree and well suited to small - medium gardens. Take care and all the best for the year ahead 👍😊
Great upload Joel... thanks
You’re very welcome Clive. Thank you for watching. Lots more to come over the next few weeks 👍
The Silver Birch is one tree we do not see down here, I think the summer temperatures could be the problem, good advice about planting them small, they really do much better, and soon outgrown larger Birches planted at the same time, the really good thing about them is they do not shade out the understory, the leaves are very sparse and allow almost all flower species to thrive under them, they are a huge attraction for the tit family, due, as you say, to the high number of moth species that feed on them. Happy Christmas to yo Joel, and many thanks for all the wonderful videos you have given us over the year! Chris B.
Thanks Chris - hope you’ve had a good Christmas. Yes - I would imagine the climate isn’t quite right for them where you are. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the videos throughout the year - I’m hoping to get a few on the Chanel in January 👍
Loving the videos mate, just found the channel a few days ago. Have shared with people on a local nature group that I'm part of. I try to make my garden as wildlife friendly as possible. I live quite close to Elmley Nature Reserve in Kent and enjoy going there. I'd love to purchase and rewild a piece of land in a few years time
Awesome, thank you so much Jamie, your encouragement and kind words really do make a difference. I have lots more videos (circa 50 in fact!) to upload and share, it's just finding the time, but I'll keep at it - so much difference can be made in our own small spaces that they could rival even the best of nature reserves :) Really appreciate this - best wishes, Joel
Good post, thanks. Birch coppices very well indeed and it is worth thinking about planting some if you have a veg. patch and like to grow peas, sweet peas or dwarf french beans. Harvest the coppice at 2-3 years (a bit longer if you like sweet peas), leave side branches on, point the butts and push in along a row of peas as they emerge. When the vines stop producing, pull up the whole row including the sticks and compost the lot - if you can chip it, so much the better. They rot down fast and with the nitrogen in the pea vines (they are nitrogen fixers) make good compost fast. A coppice worker friend used to sell birch pea sticks into Wisley for their climbing annual trial beds..... As a pioneer, they can really boost the natural succession from open ground to high forest. I was told years ago that their leaves can accumulate calcium ions so on acid sites, they can help raise the pH of the soil.
Thank you - sorry, been a bit caught up and just going through comments again. This is great advice and makes perfect sense, I've still got to have a look at your fantastic channel properly and will do soon - really appreciate this, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for the praise! I hope you find more interesting stuff. Best wishes.
@@anemone104 I managed to find time to view 2 videos earlier and would recommend anyone that sees this comment has a look at your channel too as there's vital advice and experience there - hopefully uploading another find tonight if I get time, but you no doubt appreciate how long it takes to edit and upload to YT, anything longer than 2 minutes is rather a mission! ;) Will come back to see the other videos you've uploaded real son - hope you have a great weekend - Joel
Thanks so much for this. You have inspired us to plant birches in our front and back garden (in Oxford, UK). Can you tell me if it would make a big difference to the wildlife we attract whether we plant Himalayan Birch, rather than silver birch? I know the Himalayan is not native but I'm not clear on how significant the difference would be.
Hi Joel. Thanks for this and all the other wonderful videos. I hope you have a lovely Christmas. If you can manage to find time to have a look in the attic I would be very grateful. Best wishes from Mark.
Thanks Mark. I’ll do just that when I get a chance. Hope you and yours have had a lovey break and best wishes for the year ahead 👍
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel.
I love silver birch trees for privacy screening. Can I keep mine in a pot to stop the growth?
I'm in a smallish garden and I love this tree.
Hi there - being in a pot will certainly hold it back from growing too much, ie the roots will be constricted more than if it was in "free" soil - hope this helps and that you can love the tree even more :) One of my favourites - have a good weekend - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you for your advice Joel. I'll try it in a pot and see later on if I need to place it in the ground 👍
@@rainbowvisionart8025 Thank you for letting me know it helped - they can be coppiced at a young age, just let me know how it goes :) Have a good weekend - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton will do
I've a birch in my garden. Really do they live only 80years 😊
60-90 years is an average, a few specimens have apparently reached 150 years, which seems a long time but compared to others it's quite short-lived. Rest assured they provide such vital habitat and food though while they're here :) Best wishes, Joel
Great vid . Can you give me some more information on copicing birch ? What size at the stump at maximum? How many times can they be copiced? Thanks in advance
Merry Christmas to you ❤
Thank you Deborah. You too 😊
Good morning 🤗
And to you sir! 😊👍
Would love to see more about the butterfly there or other butterflies!
Hi. I’m hoping to return to the site in summer next year to film a piece on the wildlife and butterflies that this habitat supports 😊👍 Stay tuned!
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Yay thank you, I'm looking forward to it!
I have a mature birch in my garden (planted by a previous owner), the seeds are very popular with goldfinches which visit in some numbers.
Indeed they are, Ruth. Thank you for commenting and I’m only slightly envious that you have one in your garden 😉 All the best. Joel
Is this Betula pubescens or Betula pendula? Thanks
I would say those are mostly pubesces downy birch/White birch. They are the major colonizers as they can tolerate marches better
At 7.20 into the video: the Silver Birch has over 300 species of insects recorded .. can you provide a list or reference ?
they are often found together with larch and Scots pines.
Absolutely :)
What type of silver birch should I plant in my smallish garden? I have read the snow queen is a great addition. Any ideas please.
Hi there Joe - I would recommend "Betula Pendula" as this will help the most associated insects in the UK, compared to different varieties. I hope this helps, best wishes - Joel
Thanks Joel, love the channel 😀
@@joekent230 I appreciate that Joe, comments like yours keep me going! :)
Hi, I have an ivy covered stump in my Garden from an old dead silver Birch that the previous home owner had cut down. A few years ago two new shoots appeared which i left to their own devices. trouble is they are both growing at 45 degrees for the first 6 feet before straitening up. I will have get rid of the as they may break off and damage next doors sheds. Which silver Birch do you think would suit a garden about 30 feet wide and sixty /seventy feet long. The shoots are a lovely white colour, so it is a shame they have to go.
Hi there! Firstly, what you have there is such a good candidate for vital "standing deadwood" so if you can keep that ivy covered part in the ground it will not only make a nice feature but so vital to a lot of insects and small wildlife. In my own front garden I have planted Betula Pendula and you can see the size of the garden here:
ua-cam.com/video/4kwL5eYfVuw/v-deo.html
Don't forget to cut up any shoots/branches that you need removed and pile up for more habitat :) Best wishes, Joel
Is this different than the paper birch? It looks white like paper birch.
Can silver birch trees be kept around 14-16 foot high?
Hi there - yes, they can - with repeated pruning of course :) Sorry for delayed response but I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
Can these be easily grown from seed?
Absolutely they can! Silver birch is a fast-growing tree and can be sown later in the year and still produce good growth in one season. Best to sow during April on seedbeds or in a pot though, and keep them moist - hope this helps, best wishes - Joel
Nice one!
Thanks Nick - appreciated - later tonight I'll be uploading a video of an absolutely fantastic forest I visited that is just row after row of Silver Birch - can't wait to share it :) Best wishes, Joel
Fantastic channel , nearly the last cuts of the year for me too
Just about to plant some silver birch next month :)
Thanks so much - I really appreciate the comment. Silver Birch are so good for wildlife and good luck with the planting! 😁👍