Young fruit tree grows suckers

I have two fruit trees about 3-4 years old. The apricot (Blenheim) is doi= ng fine, but the plum (Santa Rosa) keeps making suckers from the base. I = removed these and it looked like the tree was leafing out the same as the a= pricot, but now more suckers from the base.

Is there a reason that only one of these keeps making suckers? Inquiring m= inds...

TIA

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson
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The graft is having trouble establishing itself on the root stock. Carefully dig down to where sucker attaches to the root, and tear the sucker off. You may need a pair of pliers.

Not in evidence

Reply to
Billy

fine, but the plum (Santa Rosa) keeps making suckers from the base. I removed these and it looked like the tree was leafing out the same as the apricot, but now more suckers from the base.

Probably each has a different root stock. Some stone fruit produces suckers forever. I have two plum trees, both different, but both produce suckers every year, a few from below the graft and a few from above the graft... it's just the nature of the beast. Some I catch early and simply brush them off with my hand, some escape my view, become more established and require a pruner. My ginkgos produce suckers all along their trunk constantly. I always considered suckers an indication of a healthy plant.

Reply to
Brooklyn1
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***All the Rachels

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Reply to
Higgs Boson

doing fine, but the plum (Santa Rosa) keeps making suckers from the base. = I removed these and it looked like the tree was leafing out the same as th= e apricot, but now more suckers from the base.

Tx, Brooklyn - I'll just keep on pulling/cutting/digging them off.

But WHY do you consider suckers an "indication of a healthy plant" (Inquir= ing minds .) It could be argued that the plant is dissipating or s= cattering its changes of producing fruit, which would set seed, which is th= e tree's raison d'etre.

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

In some cases, suckering indicates that the tree is stressed. Stress could be caused by incorrect planting (too deep, too shallow), incorrect watering (too much or too little), insect attack, etc.

Suckering can also be a characteristic of the technique used to graft the scion onto the root stock. Finally, some trees (e.g., poplars, crepe myrtle) just enjoy suckering.

Suckers should always be pulled away from the trunk or roots. If they are merely cut, they will quickly grow back.

While plum and apricot are both in the genus Prunus, they are quite different species and should not be expected to grow the same.

Reply to
David E. Ross

doing fine, but the plum (Santa Rosa) keeps making suckers from the base. I removed these and it looked like the tree was leafing out the same as the apricot, but now more suckers from the base.

minds .) It could be argued that the plant is dissipating or scattering its changes of producing fruit, which would set seed, which is the tree's raison d'etre.

Plants are naturally frugal... they wouldn't waste their energy producing suckers, or anything extraneous, unless they have an abundance of stored energy.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

Many fruit trees from those "big catalog" shops are grafted onto useless or worse, incompatible rootstocks. The result is lots of suckering as the roots are having trouble getting nutrients up and down the graft so it is all diverted into suckers. Of course, some rootstocks are known for suckering but have so many other great qualities it is tolerated. INgrid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Somewhere between zone 5 and 6 tucked along the shore of Lake Michigan on the council grounds of the Fox, Mascouten, Potawatomi, and Winnebago

Reply to
dr-solo

Thanks. Actually, I got both trees from my reliable local nursery where I am known, rather than a "big catalog" shop.

I don't remember whether the same two former fruit trees, both long gone to that great nursery in the sky, also showed variation in suckering. With 20-20 hindsight, would have been interesting to notice...

Guess I'll just keep on pulling the suckers.

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson

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