Digital Commons Network^™

Managing Suckers Around Fruit Trees, Samuel Johnson, Teryl Roper, Xin Dai

All Current Publications

Many types of fruit trees produce suckers around the base of the tree. Crown suckers arise in the area immediately surrounding the tree trunk (Photo 1), and root suckers can arise from roots further away from the trunk. Not only are suckers around trees unsightly, but they can also harbor insect pests like wooly apple aphid and provide points of entry for diseases like fire blight. If suckers are profuse, they interfere with in-row weed management and can absorb systemic herbicides such as glyphosate. Some rootstocks used for fruit trees such as M.7 for apples and Mazzard for cherries are …