How to stop a lilac from sprouting at the ground level
by
Marilyn
Our lilac tree once bushed out normally but then hundreds of suckers began to sprout around the base of the bush. How can this be stopped. I have pruned the main bush 1/3 over 3 years with no difference...
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All trees and bushes will produce suckers.The only thing you can do is cut them off.
Agree, cut off the suckers that you don't want. I have left a few under my bush that is next to the neighbors house. It is as tall as her house. The people who lived in our house before us indiscriminately cut back the mid section of the tree at the main branches instead of just cutting back the branches that hung too far over the driveway. The middle is not totally empty and I am letting a few suckers grow to help fill out that area. So far they are growing well and bushy, but will take a few more years to fill out that empty area and fill it with flowers. I hope it will work.
The more suckers you trim the bushier the main pant will get.