Suckers (root sprouts) as sacrifice branches

[pandacular]

Over this growing season, I have been allowing some very low branches or borderline suckers (they emerge from below an above ground root) to run out to add girth to my twig. The tree is a practice sapling of Styrax sp. and it has generally grown rather basally dominantly.

My concern with this is that it will only fatten just at the base, so I don't think it'll last longer than next season. I also worry that it could overly strength a root on the side of the branch at expense of the rest of roots.

I'm curious if anyone has used suckers or other very low branches as sacrifices. If so, would you share the results? Anything else I should be aware of for a sucker sacrifice?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Good thought, yet this will not accomplish adding girth to a trunk.

It’s an additive situation.

So the trunk at the lowest branch location gets the benefit of the energy from the branch there and all the branches above it.

The trunk at the next lowest branch position gets the benefit from the energy from the branch there and all of all the branches above it.

etc

That’s how taper is created.

Hobbyists usually cut off the root suckers as they pull the energy from the rest on the tree….

Quince is a prime example, throwing off suckers helter shelter. Quinces also can include some of the exceptions.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

it's actually caused a substantial amount of swelling, but really only at that particular point. Notably, I've kept it because it's clearly swelling the roots near it, and isn't blocking out the light to the rest of the plant. My most likely plan is to cut it off when I prune the rest of the unused growth after the leaves drop.

 

[Gabler]

it's actually caused a substantial amount of swelling, but really only at that particular point. Notably, I've kept it because it's clearly swelling the roots near it, and isn't blocking out the light to the rest of the plant. My most likely plan is to cut it off when I prune the rest of the unused growth after the leaves drop.

That sounds like it's probably a good plan. You might as well let the sucker send energy to the roots to accumulate as much sugar as possible leading up to winter.

 

[sorce]

Roots swelling isn't necessarily a positive situation.
Folks often think about branch thickness as relative to the trunk to make the tree look old.
(Smaller branches on a bigger trunk.)

But rarely about how smaller roots make the trunk "bigger" too.
Granted it's a slightly different scenario....
But the "nebari, nebari, nebari", craze takes is well into the realm of roots too large.

Can't spell proportion without pro.

Sorce

 

[dbonsaiw]

My older son neglected his Chinese elm and it has sent out some suckers. They caused one side of the base to expand tremendously. It now looks off. Maybe would be cool if he could get suckers growing all around the base and create a massive more even base.