 Re: Help I'm being taken over| Preventing sucker growth
First of all, you have either a Quercus virginiana or Quercus fusiformis
#2 They're not suckers but root sprouts.
Live oaks are clonal species which propagate primarily by root sprouts. Each sprout is a clone of the original tree (happens as much as 98% of the time.)
Roots can travel 2 to 3 time the height of the canopy (more in shallow soils) away from the tree before putting up a sprout.
I write a column for my ISA Chapter newsletter and wrote about this recently. (See attachment.)
The sprouts are coming up because the tree is too deep. To eliminate the sprouts, you have to lower the grade, trim the spouts off the roots, and leave a strong root collar and flare exposed. Best done with an AirSpadeŽ but could be done by hand if you're careful.
Many folks forego the expense and learn to accept the thousands of sprouts as a different kind of ground cover. You can mow them or scalp them close to grade - do so in the heat of summer or dead of winter to prevent possible oak wilt infections. |