Removing Rootstock Suckers from Grafted Bartlett Pear

Identify the Sucker

Growth 6 inches from trunk, attached to main root system, is likely rootstock (the hardy understock). It will not produce Bartlett pears.

Cut it off completely and keep cutting any regrowth. Rootstock growth diverts energy from the grafted variety.

For fruit tree specific advice, consult fruit experts on Allexperts (Home/Gardening > Gardening > Fruit).

Seeding and Propagation: Large Bumpy Growths on Hickory: Phomopsis Galls or Crown Gall; Locust Tree New Growth Wilt: Locust Leafminer Outbreak; Cut Blue Spruce Used as Christmas Tree: Cannot Be Replanted; Planting Apple Trees in Quebec: Buying vs. Growing from Seed; Pruning Lower Branches on a Young Ginkgo Tree; Raywood Ash Basal Sprouts: Normal, Not a Root Problem; Blue Spruce New Growth Dying: Causes and Solutions; Reviving Ficus Trees After Fertilizer Burn; Managing Hackberry Tree Suckers After Removal; Reviving a Fig Tree After Cold Damage

Garden Articles

Plants