Suckers

... As in shrubs. I have two ancient shrubs that were here when we bought the house. One is an old fashioned lilac and the other is a flowering quince. Is there anyway to control the suckers that these monsters send out? The lilac is at the base of my retaining wall and sends suckers up through 4 feet of earth to the top of the wall. I have dug & dug to get them out and they just resurface within a few weeks. The quince sends out suckers in a 6-foot circumference around the bush. I had planted roses around it but the suckers grow up through them and it looks awful now.

I'm wondering if I use a heavy duty landscaping fabric if the suckers will be able to grow through it. Maybe they'll just travel around it? I'd like to mulch and keep containers around the quince but if the area is just going to be over run by suckers there's not much point. Is there any way to control them?? Other than the lawn mower?

I don't think there is anyway to do it but cut and chop endlessly :~(

I thought you were trying to call me by name with that title for the thread though!

LOL - Zany. I didn't think ~ but I spose the title will bring in a lot of hits!

yea I was suckered in too.....lol

JUST A QUESTION POPPY SUE!!! CAN'T YOU START A PLANT FROM SUCKERS.IF SO WHY NOT GIVE THEM AS TRADES? I'M SURE A LOT OF GARDENERS WOULD LIKE THEM. I HAVE A REALLY NICE OLD FASHIONED LILAC THAT BLOOMS TWICE A YEAR HERE IN TX. THE BUTERFLIES LOVE IT.

Poppysue,
I have a huge snowball plant that suckers every year. I dig out the suckers and give them to family, friends and neighbours. You may want to use them as trades.
Joydie

Hey! Rhat is a great idea...that way you can make suckers out of us and we will even thank you for it!

suckers can be a blessing some times. In your case Poppysue I don't think so:-) Wish they were going crazy in my garden!! You know, suckers have to be 'pulled' off the parent plant or they will just keep growing, and growing and growing :-)

Sue,

Check out this page: http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h446removetree.html

The 3rd from the last paragraph contains the interesting information:

"Some shrubs, such as sumac, also spread from suckers. If you treat the suckers with a woody brush killer, you may kill the entire planting. Suckering can be controlled on a number of woody plants by applying plant growth regulators such chloflurecol-methyl (Maintain-A) or naphthalene acetic acid (Tre Hold) to pruning cuts on the stems. This will help control the size of the planted area but not kill the plants. These materials are available in garden centers. Be sure to read and follow label directions carefully."

dave

I detest our flowering quince. the plant is nice enough, but ours is in a terrible place, put there years before I started planning. It came from DH's mom, and 'cannot' be moved. He nearly had a stroke the first time I pruned it! LOL!
it puts out new plants everywhere, and we've run out of room. and my DH, being the good gardener he is, hates to just waste a plant! argh

Hey tiG! Maybe you should get sneaky with that Quince bush and paint some Roundup on the leaves so an area of it dies, then when those few leaves look dead make a comment to your DH about you guess that it had that new disease you learned about on DG called something like Hateful disease. lol Then as time goes by you just poison the suckers and the whole plant may eventually die and you will have the room for something else. LOL Sneaky way might be the wrong way but I know it would work.

Tig, dig them up and pot them for your sale!! Flowering Quince should be a good seller.

PJ, I'm going to, but still 'hate' the momma plant! :)
Ponditis, you might be on to something!! I do love it in a few places where we've moved some of the baby plants, it's just that huge one that he loves so much.....

Next time plant them in large containers. There are many attractive types available at garden centers.

That's how I got my growing lilac bush - - my mother in-law dug up her suckers.

I've dug out many of my suckers to give away too. These shrubs have been here longer than I have. I just wish they'd behave!

Just a suggestion, guys! Suckering is actually a very healthy sign(even though the graft is not wanted above ground)......the best way to get rid of them as is done on some grafted roses is not to cut off with secateurs the suckers, but to rip off the suckers at the base of the grafted shrubs. This way, we would hope......no new redirection of growth! Elaine

Wish it was that easy Elaine! :) One of these days I'll get a picture of the lilac. It's at the base of my retaining wall that goes around the house. Suckers grow all around for several feet. There are even suckers that grow up through 4 feet of earth and on top of the wall. It's a NO WIN battle. There's no graft - & no base to the plant for that matter.

Poppysue, I feel for you! My lilac has grown through the basement wall! Absolutely no way to get rid of it though, short of dynamite. But I guess that would get rid of the basement wall problem huh? *grin*

I have dug up and given away huge numbers of the suckers from the lilac, but they seem to grow 2 new ones from each I have dug up.

And don't get me started on my trumpet vine.

Acccchhhhh Trumpet vine is worse than the lilacs here! I have trumpet vine in the lawn, trumpet vine in the sidewalk, trumpet vine in the flowerbeds. Lilacs here at least are in an area of the backyard that they can take over and not bother me for a long time. Good luck Poppy with your lilac problem. I sure wouldn't want to have to do battle with them like you have to. I am going to try heavy landscape fabric on some of our areas next year with a lot of mulch on it. Lani