Dr. Tree says “suckers are unsightly”

 

On no, suckers!

Dr.TreeDr. Tree tip of the day: remove suckers.

Suckers are adventitious shoots that develop from the roots of a tree, like a genetic clone. They are unsightly and divert important energy from the growth of your top stock.

Some nursery trees are seed grown, but most are grafted with a top stock and a root stock. In other words, a sucker coming from a root stock could be a completely different species than what the top stock is.

If the suckers are small, just pull them out, otherwise, cut with pruners and maintain vigilance for any new growth.

Submit your tips or try to stump the Doc by sending questions to [email protected].

–Dr. Tree