My Northern Chinese Red Birch Is Dying

Health

• Northern Chinese red birch trees thrive in moist locations with deep, well-draining, loose soils. This landscaping tree adapts to a wide assortment of clay, loam and sandy soils. The northern Chinese red birch requires a pH balance in a range of 5.5 to 8 and enjoys full sun to partial shade. This native of China has a plant hardiness for USDA zones 5, with average annual minimum temperatures of -20 to -10 F, through 8, with average annual minimum temperatures 10 to 20 F.

Maintenance

• Many birch trees have a low tolerance for pruning. Plant Northern Chinese red birches in a location with plenty of space and allowing the tree to grow undisturbed. Keeping a regular watering schedule helps to avoid over or under watering, which often leads to diseases and pest problems. Once established, the Northern Chinese red birch is a drought-tolerant tree. Mulching around the base of the tree lowers the probability of damage to the trunk from lawn mowers and weed trimmers.

Animals and Pests

• Animals such as rabbits and birds use birches for a source of food and cause damage to bark. Bark wounds weaken a tree allowing an opening for pests and diseases. Two of the most common birch tree pests are the birch leaf miner and bronze birch borer. Birch leaf miners tunnel into leaves to lay eggs, which results in the discoloration of foliage. These insects do not kill trees; however, they weaken a birch’s ability to fend off other pests like bronze birch borers. Bronze birch borers are small beetles that cause twig and branch dieback ending in the eventual death of the tree. Applications on insecticides help to control both leaf miners and bronze birch borers.

Diseases

• Several types of diseases affect birch tree species, including the Northern Chinese red birch. Leaf spot is a fugal disease that results in the development of small, rounded spots on foliage with dark borders. Rust is another fungal disease that attacks the foliage of birch trees. Fungal rust forms a white, powdery mold along leaves. Cankers are wounds that appear on twigs and branches of birch trees caused by a fungal infection. This disease causes twig and branch dieback.