How do I stop a cut branch from sprouting without killing it?

13 years ago

I have a river birch that lost two of its three main trunks in a storm. Since we cut the fallen trunks one (and only one ?!) has sprouted pretty much a shrub of shoots that are very unattractive. Is there a way to prevent these shoots without killing the tree? Am I doomed to clipping shoots for the rest of the tree's (or my) life?

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Comments (3)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
13 years ago
You made me laugh.

I do not trust any sucker killers as not being poison for the main tree.

On a humorous note, at work many of the Bradford/Cleveland Pears sucker badly. The landlord's boys sprayed one with the rest of the weeds using a round up like contact poison. Sure enough the suckers are dead but the tree is not doing well itself. Very thin in the upper canopy.

So yeah, go cut them off and I bet eventually it will slow down. If it REALLY annoyed me and I did not care about the tree at all I might pour or spray undercoating on the offending stump. But that is just an experiment I have been meaning to run on some honeysuckle.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
keeping cutting them off.. or get rid of the tree ...

my gut simply tells me sucker stopping goo is snake oil...

and frankly.. you would be better off...getting rid of the tree.. and spending the goo money on a new tree ... really.. cant you get a nice 3 to 4 foot clump for 30 bucks or so????... so why spend that on goo???? ... its a birch.. no need to buy bigger than that ...

just cut it flush to the ground... treat the cut with 100% roundup.. and plant a new babe.. a far enough way... to be able to dig a hole for the plant...

and please dont tell me.. is so close to the house.. that you cant possibly work in a new tree.. lol ...

show us a pic.. if you want some real good advice.. this guessing.. is.. well... guessing... why should we even presume.. its worth keeping... never forget.. the front of the house says a lot about who lives in the house.. and a half storm-massacred tree.. might not be the best you can put forward ...

good luck

ken

ps: i have one doing this gratuitously.. about 450 feet from the front door.. i really dont care.. i am enjoying watching do its own thing... but if i were back in suburbia.... with a 50 foot deep front lawn... and this was in a prime front location .... that thing would be gone faster than i could shake a stick at it.. and it wouldnt be a sucker stick either.. lol ...
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jawoll
Original Author
13 years ago
I've hesitated to get rid of the tree because it's in the back yard so the ugly part isn't visible from the street, the remaining trunk is quite nice and shady, and it's the place I tie one end of my clothes line :). I guess I'll have to keep snipping away at it.