Dealing with Rose Suckers

Early this year I blogged about a ‘Little Pete’ Rose Sucker I discovered around the base of the mother plant. Unlike previous transplants, this one was unsuccessful. A few days later I discovered another sucker rapidly growing on the opposite side of the plant (as you can see on the picture below). It took the sucker less than a week to grow to that length. This time the sucker emerged from the rootstock.

We used a pruner to cut off the sucker, which we now realized that it wasn’t the most efficient method as it just encouraged and stimulated more sucker growth. This morning I found a new sucker growth and tomorrow I will implement the recommended method to getting rid of the sucker. Digging and removing the soil around the roots where the sucker is originating and then pulling, twisting and/or tearing it off.

If you are still having issues dealing with Rose Suckers or identifying them, take a couple of minutes to view this educational video about Removing Sucker Growth from Roses.

Happy Columbus Day and have a great week Gardening!