On 9/6/11 10:53 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Sep 6, 8:14 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/6/11 5:59 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:









On Sep 5, 3:17 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 9/5/11 11:28 AM, Higgs Boson wrote:

I put in two very young fruit trees about 4-5 months ago. Both are
doing well. However, there are suckers appearing from the bases. At
least I THINK that's what they are.

Any advice on what to do?

This is So. Calif coastal.

TIA

HB

What kind of fruit trees?

Were they grafted? If so, can you see the graft?

It looks like they were. I can see the graft.

The one in question is a Santa Rosa Plum.

I also noticed what looks like suckers on a Dwarf Washington Orange,
about 3-4 years old, that bore last year for the first time.

If they are from below the graft, remove them. Do NOT cut them.
Instead, try to pull them. You might have to dig down a bit and break
them from the root or base of the trunk. Cutting a sucker generally
guarantees that it will sprout again with more shoots.

This advice applies equally to the Plum and to the Dwarf Orange??

This applies to any grafted plant, including roses, cherries, peaches,
loquats. It also applies to non-grafted plants that seem to proliferate
suckers (e.g., Brazilian pepper trees, crepe myrtle, poplars), all of
which can create major thickets.

For grafted plants that develop suckers above the graft, treat the
suckers as you would any new shoots. That is, either remove them or
encourage them. This also includes rose suckers from own-root
(non-grafted) roses.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary