Suckers

Unwanted growth from the roots or trunk base of crabapple, cherry, linden etc.

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Our preference is to remove suckers in August, when the plant's natural suckering response is suppressed. When we make these cuts during the spring growth spurt the plant may simply sucker 2-for-1. Yet we do come across suckers in spring that may bother us enough right then or which will be too hard to reach in summer when the garden is full all around the tree, and we remove them now.

Whenever we remove a sucker we trace it as far down as we can, to the root or trunk, and cut it there. So a trowel is as important in this work as clippers. If the tree was long neglected we start at the outer edge of the thicket of suckers, working with trowel and loppers 'round and 'round the tree until we reach the "real" trunk. (We did such an extensive de-suckering once when the situation came up at a hands-on workshop. Every time we are faced with it, now, we think this job should always be such a many hands-light work experience!)

A sucker's own roots -- those growing from the sucker above its point of attachment to the original tree -- are not of value to the original tree. Don't worry about digging through those or cutting them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tamara Infusino

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