Pruning the Paper Birch

Cold, in the teens at night and in the low 30s in the daytime.  Snow coming tomorrow... I skiied at Sundown today.

While I was in the guest room the other day sipping coffee and designing my new hydrangea hedge (see last post), I got a good look at the birch trees from above.  And it looked like I really need to remove the leftmost trunk of one of the birches.  Bartlett had suggested removing it when they pruned.  It really isn't healthy, it feels soft at the base.  But we left it up.

Now I think it needs to go.  Here's a picture from last October that shows just as clearly as my view this winter that the furthest trunk should be removed.

There will still be a decent shaped clump even after pruning away the leaning stem.