If the suckers are growing out of the roots than let them keep growing and if kept watered properly they should take on the role of your main leader trunks. Once they go dormant later in the year, you can dig them up and determine if your suckers are growing from one root system or if the grower had made your Heritiage Birch trees multi- trunked by planting two or three single trees together. If you find that is the case then you can seperate the individual root systems while the trees are dormant. Then you can replant the root systems individually, and be careful not to break off the new trunks, which the current suckers will have begun to form by the end of this growing season. Then wait long enough for these individual trees to become well established, and during that time do not cut off any new suckers which grow. As those new suckers begin to grow from the root systems of the individual suckers you end up planting, then you should let all the new suckers that want to grow to keep growing until you can determine which ones are the most agressive and closest to the same size and trunk diameters. Once you get to that point simply chose how many main leader trunks you want your trees to grow and cut off any other weaker growing ones. The new trees you grow like this should end up growing fairly quickly into nicer trees than these current dead looking ones that you first planted; that is, if you keep them watered properly, stake them if the winds begin to make then sway back and forth too far, and if you are patient enough to allow them to do their thing; they should get to that point over the same three years it would have taken for you currently dead looking trunks to have become well estatablished. Not only a lack of proper watering could have potentially caused your main leader trunks to die, but your tree could have also suffered rootflare breakage as the canopy of your trees, during last growing season, caught strong wind gusts which could have cause the trunks to lean far enough back and forth to break those roots away from the trunk, which would have resulted in the trees failing to be able to take up the amount of avaliable moisture they needed from the soil. This kind of root breakage happens often when people first plant Birch trees that are 5 to 6 foot or more tall with well developed canopies, but which were not staked well enough when first planted.

Ants will swarm were a really good food source is and Aphids often provide that, as do many other insects. I cannot tell from the picture what, besides the ants, are there but they are cleaning up after something. The ants are not the problem although they tell you there is a problem, so you need to properly identify what the problem is. Insecticidal soap sprays can, sometimes, help as can a sharp spray of water, if you know what the target is. The link talks about Aphids in the greenhouse but the same things can be used outside. Here is a link that might be useful: Aphids

So it seems the consensus is that removing these roots, or some of these roots, will have an affect on the tree. It is not clear as to whether removal of all of the roots would have a negative impact. If roots are removed, I can expect that the tree may suffer, but without a doubt, it will be aggressive in its root growth to compensate for the loss. I would find another area to garden in if I had a better one. Native plants have been suggested. But my love is with hostas and, as my mother-in-law used to say, "where there is a will, there is a way!" I think I have decided to remove one, if not two, roots at most. I will initially plant some small hostas with some of them in small spin out bags. We can see what next year brings. When it comes to gardening, I have learned is that one can never really count on one's plan coming to fruition. My hope is that as I move further away from the tree, I will find less roots. But I am not counting on that! As I have found my passion in garden, my property has been a disappointment and a struggle in many ways. But so far I have been up for the challenge. Bill, you mentioned frequent watering is required under birch and maple trees. So true! The area becomes bone dry so quickly. dbarron, I agree that the roots of the birch are very clever. They just know where the moisture is. So watering just the plants doesn't work. We know that now, but we didn't know it in the early stages of growth of this tree. But hostas are not out for the long run! No way! "A really tough spot you have there nhl." Thank you Bill. I gladly accept some empathy in this situation! Ken, I won't forget---water and fertilize the tree along with the plants! I am not sure why you were "wondering more about the fact that your tree looks telephone poled ... i wonder where the root flare is ..." Embothrium, birch trees work with gardens for 15 years! Wish I know that before! As for the other birch tree that appears damaged, I am not so sure that it was the added soil that caused stress to this tree. That tree was mature when we purchased the house 35 years ago. I think it is an aging tree and the ice storm we had several years ago broke some of its branches and stressed it out. (To the right is the white paper birch. To the left is the "damaged" tree. "I find it very unlikely that any municipality would tell property owners they cannot cut down hazard or otherwise failing trees." First of all, the city hires its own workers and they remove city trees on personal property. I don't believe the city considers this tree a hazard. They might consider it a failing tree, but they will not remove it until the decline is more advanced. And when that day comes---get this---I must replace the tree and choose from a limited list of trees of similar size! Those are the rules! Thanks all. You've be very kind to share your thoughts and knowledge.

My grafted QS is very stiff. It grew a tall cane straight up over the garage roof totally unsupported. Ramrod straight, at least 10ft. Then it had a giant cluster of blooms on top that opened. Then it rained for 2 days. The whole thing got so heavy the cane fell over and I was scared it would break so I moved the cane into the nearby dwarf black mulberry tree where it is currently resting. Its now growing laterals with the cane bent over. It is in a large pot and has grown into the ground. I'm not dealing with moving it until fall plus I still need to figure out where to put it. I also have 2 own root QS. I got them a yr before the bare root. Their canes are still more flexible. Once the canes mature they get stiff. The moral of the story is train 'em young lol.