"0tterbot" wrote in message
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
"0tterbot" wrote in message
tbh we're not 100% sure they are quinces - there was no fruit last year,
so i'm guessing :-) they look like quinces, though.

however, there are several, & they have water shoots at their bases, &
even worse, clumps of suckers coming up out of the ground.

i have read that one should not cut water shoots or suckers, but rather,
tear them off, otherwise they just grow back (is this true?). but these
are a bit too sturdy for tearing (i've tried).

I've read the same thing and done the same thing but I'm never sure if it
works or not. If they are too big, I now cut them off and that seems to
make no difference either.

well that is reassuring, since i have no idea what plan b might be!!

do you snip them off with secateurs, or saw them off in a clump? (i'm
thinking of sawing, as it would seem to be a better option with so many
shoots, & then i could rub off any new shoots.)

I do whatever is required. I rub off the new ones if I can, if thye are too
bug to breal/tear off, then I either secateur/parrot beak lopper or saw them
off depending on size.

we have a continual problem with water shoots & some of the trees. i'd bet
anything the previous people were careless whipper-snippers. how it makes
me snort with rage!!

Fair chance, but then some trees just seem to be natural suckerers too.

i was going to ask dh to dig out all the suckers, & we can have a look at
where they seem to have come from.

That is something I wouldn't do as I think you'd probably make the problem
worse. The damage done to the roots in digging them up would in all
likelihood just bring more suckers.

again, i just can't think what else to do
in the absence of brilliant ideas forthcoming from this group ;-) and
plus, he seems to enjoy doing manly things that don't do much for me
personally.

Just keep cutting or dig out the whole thing and start again (although I
don't think I'd bother doing that in a country garden - any growth is better
than none.) Try leaving it till midsummer when it will be the equivalnet
(hopefully) to summer pruing.