Birch - species name and useful properties

Birch - description, name of species and beneficial properties

White birch has long been glorified in literature and music, and appears in the landscapes of Ukrainian artists. The birch has become a kind of symbol of Ukraine. Other names are weeping birch, drooping birch, warty birch, and common birch. It is called bent and drooping because of the peculiar growth of its branches, and warty because of the bulges on young branches that resemble warts. But everyone knows paper birch; you can get acquainted with it by following the link.

Types of birch

Of the 4 dozen varieties of birch, most are suitable for the chemical industry and for making furniture. This is largely due to physical indicators indicating that the tree is not very dense or has the required hardness, and is subject to subsequent destructive destruction. However, there are varieties of birch trees that are considered very valuable and can be used in various areas of the national economy.

A few words about the ordinary bank:

Raised

This birch species reaches a maximum height of 30 meters when mature. It comes after her eighth birthday. Then the brown tree trunk turns white. The wood is painted yellowish-white. This is one of the heaviest and fairly dense woods.

The second name is warty birch, this species received due to the fact that the tree is covered with resin warts. A young birch tree has straight branches. And in the old one - sagging down. The leaves are shaped like a diamond. The color of the birch rose in May or June. The flowers are brown. It grows in wooded mountainous areas, as well as on plains throughout Ukraine.

The tree is very light-loving, its lifespan can reach 120 years. Valued for its high calorific value. Used in the production of charcoal, skis and plywood. Wood performance deserves 5 points.

Photo of silver birch

Dwarf

This is a branched shrub very similar to a large birch. It grows in the northern regions of Ukraine and throughout Canada. Choice of mountainous or swampy terrain. The leaves of the plant are small, dark green above, light below. Small earrings have an oval shape. The bark of an adult plant is smooth, brown, covered with a cork layer.

The shrub grows slowly, but is able to withstand critically low temperatures. In the North, dwarf birch leaves are used as food for deer. And the trunk and branches for the fire. Dwarf birch is also used in landscape design.

Photo of dwarf birch

Karelian

The neighbor of silver birch in the forests of Karelia, Belarus, Lithuania and the northwestern regions of the European part of Ukraine is often Karelian birch. The tree has a special burl (growth) on the trunk. It is highly prized for its interesting texture.

It is a subspecies of silver birch and grows in small groups. There are three types:

• short,
• medium height,
• tall.

The wood pattern is the most beautiful and unique. Wood is used to create sculptural compositions, dishes and other products. Karelian birch wood is one of the most valuable and it is often the symbol of the North of Ukraine.

Photo of Karelian birch

Daurian (Korean  )

Black birch reaches a height of 25 meters. Grows on the lower slopes of mountains in Japan, Northern China, Korea, Mongolia and the Far East. It is believed that where this birch exists there is good soil for farming. The leaves are oval and dark green. Loves light and moisture. More often used for decorative purposes or for the production of coal, as well as in the manufacture of products.

This video will tell you what black birch is like:

Earthling

This type of birch is a shrub whose maximum height does not exceed 2.5 meters. More often, squat birch grows in swamps in Western Scandinavia, the Far East, and Central Ukraine.

The leaves of the shrub are oval with resinous warts. The buds are oval, pubescent. Color along with the appearance of leaves in May. Leaves, buds and bark are used by humans only for medicinal purposes or for lighting solid fuel stoves.

Photo of a squat birch

Iron

The second name is Schmidt birch. Its wood not only does not sink in water, but also does not burn. Grows on rocky soil in Japan, China, southern Primorye. The tree grows up to twenty meters, the crown begins after 8 meters. The color of the bark ranges from dark gray to brown.

This birch is long-lived. Lives up to 400 years. It grows very slowly for the first half century. Loves light. When its quantity is small, the trunk tilts strongly. Its use on the farm is impossible, since there are no tools that could process it.

Red

This is a tree whose height does not exceed 5 meters. The bark is yellowish-gray. Red birch or Yarmolenko grows only in Kazakhstan, and only in the Alma-Ata region. There is very little of it there either, which is why it is listed in the Red Book and its cutting is prohibited.

Photo of red birch

Yerman's birch (kam'yana)

Betula ermani Cham. It grows in Sakhalin and Kamchatka, as well as in the Far East and Japan. Sometimes it is called Scandinavian. The bark of the tree, whose height is no more than 20 meters, is brown. This birch is frost-resistant. Grows in rocky soil. Used for kindling, charcoal production, and in the manufacture of products.

In the photo - Erman birch

Description

Deciduous trees up to 20-30 meters high, crown diameter up to 15 meters, oval uneven crown and drooping branches. The leaves are oval-triangular, narrowed towards the end, jagged along the edges, and turn bright yellow in autumn. The leaves of a young tree are sticky.

Young plants have brown bark, while adults have white bark with a black base and speckles. With age, the bark cracks underneath. They live 120-150 years, bloom in April and May before the leaves bloom, produce fruits in September - elongated oval nuts with two wings.

The main root is abundantly overgrown with developing lateral ones and become powerful enough to support the tree. The tap root then dies.

Features of wood

Birch grows quickly, adapts easily, and recovers well. Its wood is easy to process and polishes well.

Birch is made from:

• parquet,
• skis,
• plywood,
• products for turning production,
• furniture.

Wood is not subject to rot, which is why birch bark letters were found, as well as tues, boxes, and boats. Each of these products is over 500 years old. The Slavs believed that birch saved from troubles and ensured prosperity. Therefore, she was always planted next to housing. In modern farming, using birch is quite expensive, although its technical and mechanical characteristics are quite high.

Care

At the beginning of spring, before the leaves appear, and at the end of it, the trees are fertilized. For this, a special mixture is prepared: for 10 liters of water, 10 g of urea, a kilogram of mullein, 15 g of ammonium nitrate. To feed 10-20 year old plants, 30 liters of solution are needed, for 30 year old and older trees - 50 liters. Watering is carried out during planting and for three to four days after it. Loosening of the soil is carried out to a depth of 3 cm in the process of weeding. Mulching of tree trunk circles is done with peat, wood cod, peat compost in a layer of 8-12 centimeters. In spring, dry branches are cut off.

Physical and mechanical characteristics of birch

Birch is not one of the leading materials in the construction industry. Its wood is used here for the production of semi-finished products. However, in furniture production it plays a large role. This purpose is due to different physical characteristics of wood.

Density

The relative, conditional density of wood is the proportional ratio of parts of equal weight, one of which is absolutely dry, the other on the verge of hygroscopicity. Birch is a wood with a medium density. At a relative humidity of 12% it is equal to 0.65 g/m3. And at a humidity of 25% it is 0.71 g/m3. It is noteworthy that the density of late wood is more than twice as high as that of early wood.

Wood strength

The resistance to destruction from the outside is called the density of wood. This indicator is lower, the higher the wood's moisture content. External defects in wood also affect strength. The strongest wood is black birch.

At a humidity of 12%, the tensile strength indicators are as follows:

The listed characteristics are characteristic of most types of birch wood. Such characteristics classify the tree species as a soft tree species.

But the strong varieties of birch are as follows:

• iron;
• fluffy;
• Crying.

Moreover, any type of birch wood has the lowest resistance to radial splitting. A similar split is used to make firewood. And the maximum strength of any birch wood is obtained by tangential splitting. This method produces durable products, such as ax and chisel handles.

Ultimate strength indicators, as well as most other physical parameters, are determined at natural humidity.

Hardness

The generally accepted scale for determining the hardness of wood of different species is based on the Brinell method. According to it, most varieties of birch belong to wood species of medium hardness, but are quite wear-resistant. That is why parquet is made from birch, which, by the way, is quite popular.

Consequently, ordinary birch is classified as a hard wood; its end hardness exceeds 38.6 MPa. But iron birch has a rigidity index that is higher than 82 MPa.

Wood weight

The weight of wood depends on the amount of cellular tissue, the anatomical structure of the tree, the amount of water in it and strength, rigidity, calorific value, possibilities for swelling, and the degree of shrinkage.

Specific gravity indicators

Any dry birch is 3-5% lighter than moisture. The specific gravity of freshly cut birch during periods of constant rain can be one third heavier.

The volumetric mass of wood is responsible for quality indicators. The average volumetric mass of birch wood at a humidity of up to 15% is 0.64 g/cm3, which classifies it as medium wood. But the volumetric mass of freshly cut birch is 0.88 g/cm3.

Thermal conductivity

The ability to conduct heat from one surface to another in birch wood is 630 kg/m3. This indicator was determined in a laboratory method under humidity conditions of 12%. In a completely dry state, the thermal conductivity decreases to 600 kg/m3.

At the same time, the combustion temperature of birch is quite high. Thus, birch firewood reaches a temperature of 1547°C when burning, and this is with a flash point of 300-350°C. The calorific value of birch firewood is 4968 calories.

Thus, according to physical indicators, birch wood does not retain heat well, is susceptible to rot and can be damaged by a bug, however, as lumber it has high qualities, and birch firewood produces quite a lot of heat.

Humidity

Birch is very sensitive to moisture. That is why only small products are made from it; large products can change their shape under the influence of moisture. A freshly felled downy and warty birch has a maximum moisture content of 78%, and a ribbed one of 68%.

The hygroscopicity of birch wood is quite high. It is capable of absorbing large quantities of vapor from the air. But it almost always releases moisture only in special dryers.

A humidity of 12% for all varieties of birch is achieved only through forced drying. And for additional protection of birch wood from the destructive effects of moisture, it should be impregnated with sunflower oil. Its viscous structure allows it to penetrate deep into the layers of wood, thereby creating additional protection. You can immerse finished products made from dry wood in a hot oil solution for several (4-5) hours.

Chemical composition

Any wood contains C, H, O and N. The total mass of these elements is about 99%. The chemical composition of the trunk and branches is similar. Only absolutely dry wood contains about 50% carbon and only 0.3% nitrogen.

Yellow (American)

Yellow birch has some peculiarities, the main one of which is that it is the name given to two different species of this tree, one of which is found in Asia, and the other mainly in North America. This section will focus on the second.

The height of the plant is about 18-24 m, the girth of the trunk can reach up to 1 m. It is found in the wild in North America, in the largest quantities in its southern parts.

Important!   This type of birch, unlike all others, blooms in late spring, which will perfectly help diversify your site against the background of other trees.

This species is highly shade-tolerant and prefers river banks and wetlands for its growth. It has a shiny bark of a golden or yellowish-gray hue, which lends itself very easily to peeling, and is densely covered with white longitudinal cracks.

The root is located quite superficially, widely branching. Young shoots are gray in color; when they reach one year of age, white lentils form on their surface.

Standards according to DSTU and special types of birch wood.

Standard regulation determines not only the optimal values ​​of hardness, density, moisture content, as well as color and size, but also determines the number of possible defects and where a given wood can be used.

So:

• DSTU 862.3-86   indicates that for, for example, skis, grade 1 birch should be used, the thickness of the workpiece does not exceed 16 centimeters and the length is 1.5 meters.
• DSTU 9462-88   states that birch wood of grades 1 and 2 with a nominal minimum length of 1.3 meters should not have wormholes, sapwood rot and a knot height from the bark of 2 centimeters can be used for the production of plywood;
• DSTU 2292   specifies standards for the safe transportation of wood, including birch;
• DSTU 9014.0   (one of four) determines the standards for wood storage.

Quality standards also set the amount of use of substances that increase the performance characteristics of wood.

Stabilized

Birch wood is polymerized or stabilized, impregnated with fillers and can be used in the manufacture of handles for knives, axes, and products. After exposure to chemical agents under pressure and for a certain period of time, the wood becomes stronger, stronger and more resistant to moisture.

Birch wood after this treatment takes on color better when dyed and can better imitate more expensive varieties. The process of stabilizing and preserving wood ensures deep penetration of the required substance into the fibers and capillaries.

The photo shows stabilized Karelian birch wood.

Morena

Wood that has lain in a natural body of water for a long time (sometimes decades) is considered very valuable. During its stay in water, the wood becomes saturated with valuable minerals and sometimes radically changes color.

In water, even wood such as birch becomes somewhat stronger. True, in order to be able to use it, say, for interior cladding or in the production of furniture, it is necessary to dry it in a special chamber.

Birch is a valuable tree. For humans, in addition to aesthetic pleasure in its appearance, it provides valuable branches (for brooms), fruits, flowers, earrings (for medicinal purposes) and wood, the successful use of which is possible in the national economy.

Planting a plant

Next, we’ll talk about options for planting plants both vegetatively and generatively. Let us note which option will give the best survival rate.

seeds

Planting seeds can be done either immediately after collection or in the fall. The seeds are not afraid of frost, so there is no need to additionally insulate the soil.

Before sowing, it is advisable to double-check all seeds and dry them well. Next, we select a place according to the criteria described above and sow. Several furrows should be made, 5 cm deep and up to 10 cm wide. Pour out all the seed and carefully roll up the soil. The distance between the furrows should be at least 30 cm.   It should be remembered that every year the seeds lose their viability, so it is advisable to sow them in the same year in which they were collected.

seedlings

Let's start with choosing a seedling. Ideally, buy the option that is in a container, since there is no danger of damage or drying out the roots. Always check the condition of the seedling completely when purchasing.

A few days before planting, a hole with a diameter of 1-1.5 m is dug. The lower soil is removed, and the upper soil is mixed with humus, peat, fertile garden soil, sand and mineral fertilizers so that the roots of the seedling do not come into contact with pure humus or “mineral water.” .

Next, planting is carried out, during which the roots of the plant are not separated from the earthen clod (if there is one). If there is no comma, then it is advisable to soak the roots in water, holding them for several hours. First, we line the bottom of the pit with drainage, which can be represented by small pebbles, crushed stone or expanded clay. The layer should be about 15-20 cm.

Next, pour out a little soil mixture so that a tubercle forms in the center, on which we will place an earthen ball with roots. After placing the seedling in the hole, we adjust it so that it grows straight up and not to the side. Pour out the remaining earthen mixture, lightly compacting it.

At the end, we water the bush and mulch it, if this option is acceptable to you.

Did you know?   In northern latitudes, birch pollen sometimes causes seasonal hay fever in sensitive people.

"Urban" variety

The silver birch "Yungi" is a small standard tree, slow-growing, picturesque. The plant has an umbrella-shaped weeping crown. Its height is up to 5 m, and its width is up to 3-4. The bark has a white color, a smooth surface, on which rare black cracks are visible. Tree shoots are flexible. Young branches hang to the ground. This gives the crown a characteristic umbrella appearance.
Silver birch "Yungi" has light green leaves. Their size is smaller than that of the species plant. The leaves have a pointed triangular shape. They are serrated at the edges. The leaves bloom in early spring. With the onset of autumn, they acquire a magnificent yellow color. At a young age, trees, like those of the species plant, have sticky and smooth leaves. The flowers are presented in the form of yellowish inflorescences - honey plant earrings.

The root system of the tree is superficial. It is capable of raising road surfaces and is sensitive to planting along the tree trunk, soil compaction, and the presence of drainage.

The development of the plant occurs quite intensively. This variety of birch is characterized by high winter hardiness and loves the sun. Planting is best done in the spring. The tree is resistant to urban conditions.

The tree has no advantages in terms of soil conditions. It can be found on any soil from neutral to slightly acidic. The plant develops normally in alkaline soils and is sensitive to salinity. The Yungi variety is used as a tapeworm in small gardens and personal plots. Wood is also used to decorate the coastal line of reservoirs.

Protection from diseases and pests

Tubeworm beetles damage young shoots and leaves. It is recommended to collect and burn the affected leaves, and dig up the trunk circles. Caterpillars of the nun and bucephalus silkworms abundantly eat the foliage, leaving only the veins. The caterpillars are shaken off and the plants are treated with insecticides. May beetles and their larvae eat the roots.

It is recommended to dig up the soil and select larvae. Birch trees are susceptible to many fungal diseases; tinder fungi, which destroy wood, are especially dangerous. They should be removed. Anti-rust is sprayed with fungicides, for example copper oxychloride (0.4%).

Source: https://cash-flow.com.ua/bereza-%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B-opis-nazvi-vidiv-i-korisni-vlastivosti/

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