When is it a sucker; when is it a new limb start??

[Ron]

I have these small, 'new growth limbs' on some of my trees, especially on ash trees. They look kinda weedy, but maybe they become a substantial part of the tree given enough time???

But, they also seem to grow for a while, die and fall off on the cars, in the yard, etc.

So is it desireable to trim suckers, and what makes something a sucker?

 

[cerviarborist]

Down my way, there are a lot of hacks "lion tailing" Quercus. The oaks fight back by putting on epicormic growth, in an effort to restore the central part of the canopy.

I recommend these trees for "sprout management" where we evaluate the epicormic growth, try to select those sprouts which are appropriately positioned on the scaffold branches, and have the best potential to develop reactive wood. (Typically those shoots that aren't growing straight up off the scaffold)

We encourage these shoots to become leads, by gradually reducing and eliminating their epicormic competition over time.

New small branches that are starting directly from the trunk, below the established canopy, on the other hand, can be an indication of root problems and other tree stresses.

 

[Paul Biester]

I sort of agree with above post.you can cultivate some new internal growth. Use discretion.choose well attached branches that have good potential to create future good limbs!

 

[guymayor]

totally agree with cervi. technical term is watersprouts; suckers are from the base. checking for buttress formation key.

 

[pcarborist]

I asked Ed Gilman this question a few yrs back and he said as a rule of thumb "you remove 33% of the sprouts, reduce 33% of the sprouts and retain 33% of the sprouts".

 

[tomthetreeman]

Cervi and Taitree nailed it. Retain as much as possible within your management plan, with an eye toward future viable limbs.

-Tom