Tree shoots! Gardeners advice please.

[Callie]

Not sure why or what to do or if anyone else has had this problem but for some strange unknown reason we have loads of tree 'shoots' popping up all over the place in the back garden,including in our new lawn. It's very unsightly. Next door has them too! We never had this until this year.They are very tough to pull out as I think they are coming from the roots of a big tree somewhere else? Any gardeners out there that could shed some light on what's happening & if there is anyways to stop it? Thanks

[Loz]

A picture of them would be useful (especially one showing the leaf). They may not be tree shoots.

[Guest]

It's probably the shoots from a sycamore tree. I have the same problem. If they are on your lawn, most of it will be removed after you mow it a few times.

The ones that are not on the lawn, you should pluck them out. Sycamores grow really fast and have really strong roots. You wouldn't want them growing around your garden.

[Sue]

They may be suckers from a Rhus (Sumac) which suckers badly if the roots are damaged.

But also, could be seedlings from a nearby tree.

Yes, pictures of the leaves would help!

[Alex K]

Japanese knotweed still in the differential diagnosis here.

[stringvest]

Pictures please. I had to have a lilac tree removed, it was sprouting up under the patio lifting the stones up, and shooting up in the greenhouse and in the flower borders. Some plants do this when they are pruned, sending out shoots and suckers - so the more you try and keep it trimmed, the worse the shooting problem is. Some gardeners recommend putting in a barrier (obstacle or membrane) when the plants likely to do this are planted. Thanks.

[Callie]

Thanks everybody for your replies. My camera has been playing up so haven't been able to take any good photos. I've added a few, be it blurry ones.

[Callie]

a couple more

[red devil]

Definitely not Sycamore or Rhus, do the leaves match a nearby tree?...

[Callie]

There are quite a lot of trees quite close by, some apple trees and plum I think, that I recognise. I'm not sure if the leaves match as they are not my garden. Some neighbours have been chopping down their trees & sawing off branches & I'm wondering if this might have caused it?

[Huggers]

I had something similar to your first photo sprouting and a gardening friend suggested wild cherry.

[Callie]

Hi Huggers, did they say what caused it & how to stop it? Did you manage to get rid of yours?

[Huggers]

mine were in flower beds and I just chopped em, but only a couple of shoots.

[KidKruger]

Sure it's not bindweed ?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

If it is cherry, the stones could be dispersed by guano.

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> Sure it's not bindweed ?

That's deffo not bindweed :)

[stringvest]

looks like cherry to me. Could be in bird droppings. if they are cherry stone seedlings you could probably pull/dig them up with not to much trouble. I get hazelnut seedlings planted by a squirrel !!

[Loz]

stringvest Wrote:

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> I get hazelnut seedlings planted by a squirrel !!

My missus spent one spring leaving rather generous amounts of peanuts out for squirrels. I spent summer pulling up lots of small peanut plants.

[ponderwoman]

Cherry or plum, same family, and they both throw up prolific numbers of suckers. I have transplanted both and have a mini suckering forest of fruiting plums. Wild cherries are HUGE trees and I have recently removed one which was beautiful, but sending up suckers through walls and next doors driveway.

If you dig down, not very far under the surface you will find the root the suckers are coming from. Follow it back as far as you energy allows and snip it off. If the originating tree is in a neighbouring garden they will be having the same problem, perhaps you can discuss it with them.

Plums are smallish trees and I would be happy to keep mowing the suckers off. Good luck

[Sue]

Loz Wrote:

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> stringvest Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I get hazelnut seedlings planted by a squirrel

> !!

>

> My missus spent one spring leaving rather generous

> amounts of peanuts out for squirrels. I spent

> summer pulling up lots of small peanut plants.

That reminds me of the large crop of wheat (or something like it) I got beneath my bird feeder .....

[stringvest]

Yep I have the wheat field beneath the bird feeder too !!

I thought it would be very nice to make my own REAL xmas door wreaths. I wound lots of ivy round garden wire, attached fir, berries, walnuts pinecones etc THE SQUIRREL NICKED IT !!!

[Sue]

I do that every year, never had squirrel probs! I don't use nuts though so maybe that's why!

[ruffers]

This came up on R4 Gardeners Question Time last Sunday 14th June. iplayer will help I'm sure.

Keep mowing was the answer iirc.

[Alex K]

Spot on for ponderwoman -- some sort of Prunus -- and yes, if your neighbours are pruning, that will prompt the roots to throw up suckers. Mow, mow, and mow; in flowerbeds, just pull and snip.