Removing fruit tree suckers is an important part of pruning your fruit trees. They’re sometimes called watershoots, but in fact, watershoots are something entirely different.
Pruning is one of the 5 key fruit tree jobs. Whether you’re pruning in summer or winter (or any other time for that matter), removing suckers is an important part of the job.
Good question! Suckers are shoots growing from below the graft union on your tree. Sometimes they’re growing directly from the roots and coming up through the soil near the trunk of the tree.
Most fruit trees have been grafted. This means that shoots from below the graft union are growing from the rootstock, rather than from the variety.
Watershoots are something different. Just like suckers they are strong, vertical shoots, but watershoots grow from above the graft and need dealing with differently.
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Plum trees are a delightful addition to any home orchard, producing sweet, juicy fruit for fresh eating baking, jams and more. However uncontrolled growth of plum tree shoots can harm your tree’s health and productivity.
In this article, we’ll cover what shoots are, why removing them is important, and proven techniques to get rid of plum tree shoots.
What Are Shoots on Plum Trees?
Shoots are fast-growing stems that sprout from the trunk or roots of plum trees There are two main types
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Watersprouts – Vertical shoots growing from branches or the trunk above the graft union.
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Suckers – Shoots emerging from below the graft union from the rootstock,
Shoots grow rapidly upwards and sideways, competing with the variety you want to nurture. They crowd out fruiting wood and block light and air circulation. If left alone, shoots take over and your plum won’t bear quality fruit.
Why You Should Remove Plum Tree Shoots
Eliminating shoots on plum trees is crucial for:
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Promoting fruit production – Shoots siphon energy away from developing fruit. Removing them helps your variety fruit better.
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Improving health – Shoots are prone to disease and breakage. Pruning them stops entry points for pests.
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Preventing thickets – Unchecked shoots can take over your tree entirely. Prune now to avoid spending hours removing a thicket later.
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Maintaining your variety – Suckers from the rootstock produce inferior fruit unlike the scion wood.
Allowing shoots to remain reduces yields, invites disease, and creates a tangled mess limiting access and air flow. Stopping plum tree shoots in their tracks keeps your tree vigorous and loaded with plump, delicious plums.
When to Remove Shoots on Plum Trees
Tackle plum tree shoot removal:
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During early spring maintenance pruning before growth resumes.
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Whenever you spot new shoots arising later in the season.
Act promptly when you notice young green shoots to prevent them from establishing. Don’t let shoots lignify into woodier growth that’s harder to manage.
Repeated pruning is needed as shoots can reemerge. But staying on top of removal keeps it a quick, simple task.
How to Prune Out Plum Tree Shoots
Follow these proper techniques for getting rid of plum tree shoots:
Watersprouts
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Identify vertical shoots arising from branches or the trunk above the graft union.
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Cut watersprouts entirely off at their point of origin.
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Use sharp, clean bypass pruners or loppers for smooth removal.
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Leave no stub and prune just outside the branch collar.
Suckers
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Scan the base and roots for fast-growing shoots below the graft union.
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Sever suckers completely with pruners or loppers at soil level.
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Clear away soil to remove buried suckers along with surface growth.
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Avoid leaving any portion of the sucker, which can resprout.
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Monitor for new suckers and prune again before they enlarge.
Proper tools, timing, and techniques stop plum tree shoots effectively without harming your tree. Consistent removal results in a tidy, vigorous, highly productive plum.
What Causes Shoots on Plum Trees?
While pruned correctly, some plum trees are still prone to excessive shoots based on factors like:
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Rootstock – Some rootstocks like Marianna are genetically vigorous, pushing up suckers.
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Age – Young or mature plum trees send up more watersprouts as they grow.
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Past pruning – Drastic pruning can stimulate shoots the following seasons.
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Weather – Fluctuations in temperature and rainfall lead to shoots emerging.
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Damage – Injury from frost, insects, or disease triggers shoots.
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Vigor – Robust health with adequate nutrients and water drives shoot growth.
Understanding why shoots appear on your plum tree helps you prevent and manage them. But even with ideal conditions, pruning is needed to keep shoots under control.
3 Tips for Managing Plum Tree Shoots
Along with consistent pruning, consider these tips to minimize shoots:
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Select shoot-resistant rootstocks – Rootstocks like St. Julien A limit suckers.
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Prune judiciously – Avoid drastic pruning that stimulates watersprouts.
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Promote tree health – Shoots signal stress. Ensure proper water, fertilizer, and pest management.
While pruning is ongoing, reducing shoots through rootstock selection, gradual pruning, and robust care means less work keeping your plum tree shoot-free.
Pruning Shoots Results in an Ideal Plum Tree
Pruning plum tree shoots takes commitment, but pays off in a healthy, thriving tree. Your efforts removing the undesirable growth results in:
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A strong, open framework for maximum sun exposure
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Less disease and breakage without shoots
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More energy directed into flowering and fruiting wood
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Accessible branches that make harvesting easier
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Your chosen variety performing at its best
Staying vigilant in cutting away shoots as they appear keeps your plum tree in top shape for abundant fruit production.
How to avoid making the problem worse
That brings us to the second reason for getting this technique right.
When you’re removing suckers, make sure you take them off as close to the trunk or the ground as you possible can.
This can be quite tricky to do with your secateurs if they’ve already grown very large. The one in the photo below is probably on the edge of what’s possible. You may need to get out the pruning saw, or even the chainsaw!
Always try to remove suckers without leaving any stub at all
Fruit tree suckers tend to be persistent and come back every year anyway.
If you leave a stub, you’re just asking for trouble. This is effectively pruning it off with a heading cut.
It’s pretty much guaranteed to branch. Don’t be surprised if you come back next year and find that one sucker has turned into a forest.
A sucker that’s removed incorrectly can lead to a forest of suckers the following year
Can suckers get as big as the tree?
This is a little plum tree with two suckers coming up from the roots. Notice how they’re pretty much the same diameter as the original tree? In just one year, both suckers have grown taller than the tree.
Just imagine, for a minute, what this scenario would look like in another year or two if the suckers were left intact.
Within a very short space of time, the original grafted tree would become increasingly difficult to distinguish. In fact, the suckers would likely out-compete the original tree, increasing its chances of dying.
If you have a multi-trunked fruit tree in your garden, this is one of the common explanations for how it got there.
Here’s another example that shows just how much stronger suckers often are than the grafted tree:
A fruit tree sucker can quickly grow taller than the tree
How to Remove Suckers so They Don’t Grow Back
FAQ
How to get rid of plum tree shoots DIY?
I have both plum and cherry shoots as well. Just clip them off or dig up the roots. Maybe cut and use a plant hormone to inhibit new growth.
How do I stop tree shoots from growing?
Pruning is a great solution to maintain your tree’s appearance and temporarily stop sucker growth. If you want to stop tree suckers’ growth for longer, you need to trim them and then pull tree suckers out of the roots with leather gloves.
How to get rid of cottonwood shoots?
To effectively eliminate cottonwood shoots, regular cutting or herbicide application is recommended. Cutting the shoots at or below ground level repeatedly can eventually starve the roots, while applying a systemic herbicide like glyphosate or triclopyr to the foliage can help kill the roots.
Do plum tree suckers need to be removed?
If your plum tree is sprouting straight, fast-growing shoots, it likely has suckers that need to be removed. Pruning out plum tree suckers properly is crucial for the health and fruit production of your tree.
How do you stop a fruit tree from sucking?
Keep your tree’s energy focused on growing plump, abundant fruit by pruning ugly suckers the moment they appear. Many types of fruit trees produce suckers around the base of the tree. Crown suckers arise in the area immediately surrounding the tree trunk. Root suckers can arise from roots further away from the trunk.
Do suckers graft a plum tree?
However, suckers lack the graft union that determines fruit type. Consider using replanted suckers to learn grafting and create your own plum varieties someday instead. Pruning suckers is essential plum tree care. Left unchecked, fast-growing shoots can choke out grafted fruiting wood, reducing yields.
Why do plum trees have suckers?
In addition to marring the visual harmony of a well-maintained plum tree, root suckers divert moisture and nutrients away from the main stem and thereby reducing overall yield, fruit quality and foliage production. Removing the suckers by hand as soon as possible is ideal, but well-established growths often require more drastic measures.
Do plum trees need a lot of maintenance?
They’re compact, adapted to a wide range of growing conditions and need little maintenance other than regular pruning and thinning. Plum trees are usually vigorous growers with a wide, laterally spreading root system that grows close to ground level, often producing numerous basal shoots or suckers within three feet of the trunk on all sides.
Can Plum suckers be replanted?
While plum suckers don’t bear the fruit variety you want, they can potentially be replanted if removed with a piece of root attached. To attempt propagation: However, suckers lack the graft union that determines fruit type. Consider using replanted suckers to learn grafting and create your own plum varieties someday instead.