Q.crepe myrtle maintenance
Can I cut away any growth at the base of the tree at any time? Can I do it now? Online articles have confused me. Some say prune with shears, cut away with a saw, or pull when they sprout. Are they called suckers? What should I use?
They are root suckers. You can remove them without harm to the tree. Tree sucker removal is easy to do. Tree sucker removal is done in the same way pruning is. Using a sharp, clean pair of pruning shears, cleanly cut the plant sucker as close to the tree as possible, but leave the collar (where the tree sucker meets the tree) to help speed the wound recovery. Perform this tree sucker control as soon as you see any plant suckers appear so that you put less stress on your tree. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/tree-sucker-removal-and-tree-sucker-control.htm
