How to keep sucker growth under control
How to keep sucker growth under control
Many homeowners and tree care professionals find tree suckers to be an annoyance. They are also referred to as basal shoots and are made up of fresh shoots that appear at the base of a tree’s trunk. They are known as “tree suckers” because they suck and consume essential nutrients and water, which limits the growth of the primary tree. Once tree suckers start to develop, the tree will get less water and nutrients, causing it to become more stressed and possibly die.
Don’t Harm the Tree’s Roots
Avoid damaging the tree’s roots when maintaining your landscape and mowing your lawn. In response to root stress, trees frequently produce suckers. You might find new suckers at the base of a tree’s trunk in the coming weeks if you unintentionally strike the exposed roots of a tree while mowing the grass or tilling the ground. Fortunately, you can avoid this by being careful not to hit or otherwise harm the tree’s roots. Mulch around the tree will bring several advantages for your tree and provide a barrier to prevent you from reaching too close to the root.
Water Around the Tree’s Trunk
Some individuals think that watering a tree makes it vulnerable to suckers, however, this is not the case. Watering a tree helps prevent suckers by promoting healthy development and growth (of the tree, not the suckers). Dehydration makes trees stressed, which increases their propensity to sprout suckers. Make sure your trees are well-hydrated to prevent suckers from sprouting on them.
Prune New Tree Suckers
You won’t always be able to prevent tree suckers from emerging. However, to keep new suckers under control, you should prune them as soon as you find them. Suckers will do greater damage to the tree the longer you wait to remove them. To remove tree suckers, use a pair of clean and sharp gardening shears..You want to trim the suckers as close to the tree’s trunk as possible without cutting the trunk. Keep in mind that suckers may regrow, so you’ll need to check the tree in the following days and months.
Contact a Professional
Call us today! One of our Isa Certified Arborists from Johnson Ops Tree Care will stop over and assess your landscape for any problems. 608 526-6297.