Crape Myrtle root suckers

Question

We have crapes lining our driveway and keep them growing upward and looking lovely, although my husband prunes more than I prefer for mowing reasons! However, the suckers at the ground coming from the roots….that is an endless issue. Is there a way to prevent them from recurring after trimming them?

Answer 1

Trees will put out suckers when they are stressed. Some trees, like grafted trees, are always under a little stress and will always put out some suckers. You can reduce the number of suckers a tree puts out be removing stress from the tree (i.e. limiting how much it’s pruned may help). Make sure it is well watered and fed and that there are no pests affecting the tree.

While it may seem a daunting task, tree sucker removal is easy to do with 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