Oak tree suckers/sprouts(?) from earlier pruning

[[email protected]]

Is there a way to eliminate the sprouting from a white oak tree pruning location?

I have 7 or 8 red and white oaks(~60 or 70 feet) that have been pruned either by previous owners or the power company to have no branches until 30 or more feet.

There is one red and one white that continually try to sprout from earlier large branch pruning sites. The white oak practically forms an entire bushy shrub every year at two of it's pruning locations. They otherwise have a nice full canopy.

I usually try to remove the new growth very late Fall every year. The white oak is conveniently right next to my detached 2 story garage so that I can stand on it and easily trim back the growth

It seems to me unhealthy to continually prune all these small branches at the same location every year. Is that the best course, or is there another recommendation?

Thanks!

 

[HuskStihl]

I have a similar problem with some of my white oaks, so a will tag along for advice. My understanding is that they sucker when they are unhappy, and need more photosynthetic energy. The trees I've stressed with my driveway and foundation are suckering much more than the others. The oaks I have less ability to water also seem to sucker more. Jolly should be along to set us straight shortly

 

[old_soul]

the sprouts are the trees reaction to overpruning.

without pics (on oaks) i would guess someone overthinned canopy or stripped out one side. (such as power line clearance does) which now lets in more sunlight than before. The tree reacts by sprouting leaves to shade the trunk and limbs.

Its hard to explain but you get the idea?

Pick the strongest sprout and leave it, train it to grow into a new limb. Once the area has shade again, the excessive "suckers" will stop growing....................

 

[[email protected]]

Here' a general view of the canopy courtesy of Google.

The suckers have been trimmed at that time but they mostly occur right above the garage roof.
The tree also happens to be fairly close to the neighbors house so I have previously selected a couple of suckers to let them regrow, but a couple of places a branch will go right to my neighbors house(it's right next to the tree as well but not in the photo).


That particular tree has the thickest canopy of my oak trees and hasn't been pruned in at least the 8 years we've been here.
I wondered if it's actually the healthiest so that it's trying to regrow versus some of the other tree that have been pruned similarly yet don't sprout sucker branches at all.

View attachment 314091

 

[Toronado3800]

IMO there are several factors

-if enough sunlight suddenly hits the trunk of a tree like an oak a branch will probably try to grow there. Most non conifers have the ability to sprout from "dormant buds". Even some conifers.
-roots want to send energy up and out. If a path if lower resistance like a lower branch starts to form and gets enough sun to make the transfer worth the trouble that portion of the tree may outpace the upper portions.
-trees want large spreading canopies genetically to suppress competition.
-in a forest there are other trees around blocking the sun from the trunks of similar trees. Not there.
-I would be more worried if the tree did not put out new growth. Unofficially I have observed faster "replacement" growth after pruning or top die back as the roots are accustomed to supporting a larger canopy than they now have. This may balance out.

Thanks for listening to my random thoughts.

 

[treeseer]

IMO there are several factors

-if enough sunlight suddenly hits the trunk of a tree like an oak a branch will probably try to grow there. Most non conifers have the ability to sprout from "dormant buds". Even some conifers.
-roots want to send energy up and out. If a path if lower resistance like a lower branch starts to form and gets enough sun to make the transfer worth the trouble that portion of the tree may outpace the upper portions.
-trees want large spreading canopies genetically to suppress competition.
-in a forest there are other trees around blocking the sun from the trunks of similar trees. Not there.
-I would be more worried if the tree did not put out new growth. Unofficially I have observed faster "replacement" growth after pruning or top die back as the roots are accustomed to supporting a larger canopy than they now have. This may balance out.

Thanks for listening to my random thoughts.

You're welcome, my pleasure!

"Pick the strongest sprout and leave it, train it to grow into a new limb. Once the area has shade again, the excessive "suckers" will stop growing..........."

General rule is remove 1/3 reduce 1/3 retain 1/3. Removing them all makes decay at that point and the whole tree top-heavy, = HAZARD so why in the world were they pruned so hard in the first place? No good reason seen...:msp_sad:

 

[senones]

I have to agree with the treeseer. Take one, leave one, reduce one. We call it "Sprout Management" or sometimes Restoration and we consider it an upsell as we charge more. No need to remove all of the sprouts. Sprouts are our friends. Extraneous (decay, decline, etc) circumstances excluded, of course.