HOW TO MANAGE TREE SUCKERS
During the summer, your trees will bloom with beautiful leaves in the heat. However, hotter weather usually encourages some tree suckers. To maintain your tree's aesthetic, you'll want to stop these tree suckers from growing. Unfortunately, any tree can suffer from developing the growth of tree suckers, which is likely to happen if the tree is injured or under stress! Not to worry if you've never dealt with these suckers, as stopping tree suckers is simple and effective with the right tools and steps!
What are Tree Suckers?
Tree suckers are miniature tree-looking shoots at the bottom of your tree's trunk; they can sprout if your tree is stressed from a type of illness and is exerting energy to grow more branches. Suckers can also happen in grafted trees, where the stem of one plant is fused with the rootstalk of another.
When you first see tree suckers developing, it's important to remove suckers and sprouts, especially from fruit trees. If you leave tree suckers to continue to grow on the tree, it can stunt the growth of healthy roots and prolong the growth time of flowers or fruits!
Suckers on Grafted Trees
Suckers can also happen in grafted trees, where the stem of one plant is fused with the rootstalk of another. Suckers can sprout if the base of the stem fails, and the rootstock begins to send out its suckers. Grafts typically fail on smaller ornamental trees, such as crabapples or redbuds, so it's important to keep an eye on your trees and take action as soon as possible to stop tree suckers.
How to Prune Suckers
Pruning is a great solution to maintain your tree's appearance and temporarily stop sucker growth. If you want to stop tree suckers' growth for longer, you need to trim them and then pull tree suckers out of the roots with leather gloves. You can also use a hatchet to get a firmer grip around the sucker to pull them off. Suckers that are difficult to remove may require a saw; simply cut as close to the trunk at the base of the tree as you can.
Digging around the sucker is another effective solution if you're having trouble accessing the base, as exposing it will help you prune it at the base easier. Once exposed, you can use pruning shears to cut at the bottom as close as possible to the trunk. Use pruners or a billhook saw to clean up any stubs that remain to ensure your tree's base is nice and tidy.
It's vital to remember that pruning a plant while it's actively growing and establishing its root system can stress it out. Try to remove suckers while they're young so that it doesn't impact the tree too much, or save it for early spring while it is still dormant and not actively growing.
More Pruning Tips
Avoid pruning too much, as over-pruning can encourage the growth of tree suckers, especially when it's a few years old.
To aid wound healing, cut the plant sucker as near the tree as possible, but leave the collar at the point where the tree sucker and the tree connect.
For young sprouts, you don't need to create a clean cut since the wound will heal quickly. You can even rub the sprouts off with your thumb if you catch them early enough.
You can use herbicide to kill the suckers and prevent regrowth, if you have a challenging case on your hands! Just make sure it includes glyphosate and follow the instructions carefully.
If you need assistance with stopping tree suckers, please don't hesitate to contact us at Dammann's Garden Company or speak with us in person at our greenhouse. We're happy to help ensure your trees are healthy and thriving this summer!