How to Cut Elm Suckers

Elm suckers are not, in fact, curiously flavored candies on a stick. Instead, they are the shoots of new growth that rise up from the roots at the base of an elm tree. These suckers are not only an eyesore, they may actually damage the elm tree by sucking up water and nutrients needed by the tree to remain healthy. Suckers should be removed as often as they appear.

Things You'll Need

• Clean, sharp pruning shears

Instructions

1. Position your pruning shears at the base of the sucker, as close to the point of origin as possible.

2. Cut the sucker at its point of growth. You may need to dig down into the dirt if the sucker is not growing from an exposed root.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for every sucker around the base of the elm tree.

4. Prune limbs regularly can reduce the amount of sucker growth, reports the website Gardening Know How.

References

• University of Kentucky College of Agriculture; Pruning Landscape Trees; W.L. Witt, et al.
• Gardening Know How: Tree Sucker Removal and Tree Sucker Control