Suckers vs. Water Shoots on Fruit trees: What to Cut, Where and When
Updated: Nov 5
By Michael Ismail, Founder of Thrive and Grow Gardens and Green Thumb Academy
I grew up on a family homestead with 50 fruit trees, and I've been helping Tucson homeowners grow food since 2014. One of the biggest maintenance problems I find on fruit trees around town is suckers that nobody has taken care of. They quietly pull water and energy away from your fruit. Here's how to spot them, exactly where to cut, and when.
Quick answer: A sucker grows from the rootstock below the graft union. A water shoot grows straight up from the trunk or a branch above the graft. Remove suckers every time, and clear water shoots from the lower trunk. Cut right where the green shoot meets the brown bark, with no stub, and never rip big ones off.
Want it on paper? Get the free 11-page Suckers & Water Shoots Guide, with real photos showing exactly where to cut.
Watch: how to spot suckers on a real citrus tree
THE BASICS
What is a sucker on a citrus tree?
Your citrus tree is really two plants joined together. The top, where your fruit grows, is the variety you bought: a Meyer lemon, a navel orange, a grapefruit. The bottom is a tough rootstock chosen for its roots, not its fruit. The spot where they join is called the graft union.
A sucker is any shoot that grows from below that graft union, either from the lower trunk or straight up out of the roots. Because it comes from the rootstock, it is a different plant. It grows fast, pulls energy away from the top of the tree, and the fruit it makes is usually sour, bitter or full of seeds. Suckers should always come off.
What is a water shoot?
A water shoot (also called a watersprout) grows straight up from the trunk or a main branch above the graft union. It is part of your good variety, but it grows fast, vertical and leggy. Water shoots on the lower trunk waste energy and crowd the trunk, so clear them off. Water shoots up in the canopy are a pruning decision you can make later.
How do I find the graft union on my tree?
Look a few inches to about a foot above the soil for a ridge, a bump, a slight bend, or a change in the bark texture or color. That line is the graft union. Anything growing below it is a sucker. Most citrus trees and most deciduous fruit trees are grafted, so this works on peaches, plums, apricots and apples too.
HOW TO SPOT THEM
How can I tell a sucker from a normal branch?
Where it starts: below the graft union, or straight from the roots.
How it grows: shoots up fast, often on green, striped stems.
The leaves: they look different from the rest of the tree. Many citrus rootstocks have leaves split into three leaflets (trifoliate leaves).
The thorns: suckers often have more thorns, and they are bigger and sharper.
Don't get fooled. Thorns alone don't prove it's a sucker, because fast-growing shoots of your own tree can be thorny too, especially on lemons. And not every rootstock has three-part leaves. That's why where the shoot starts is the one test that always works. |
The 3-second test
Ask one question: where does the shoot start? From the soil or below the graft, it's rootstock: remove it. Above the graft but low on the trunk: remove it. Up in the canopy: your call.
Should I remove the low branches too?
No. Clean the trunk, keep the skirt. Take off every shoot growing out of the lower trunk, whether it's a sucker or a water shoot, but leave the low branches hanging down from the canopy. They shade the trunk and often carry some of your best fruit.
HOW TO REMOVE THEM
Where exactly should I cut a sucker or water shoot?
Cut right where green meets brown. Every shoot has a slightly swollen brown collar where it joins the trunk. Make your cut right along the line where the green shoot meets that brown collar. Don't leave a stub, and don't cut into the collar itself. That collar is the tissue that grows over and seals the wound.
1. Catch them early
While they're small, they'll usually pop right off by hand. Young trees push new suckers fast, so check the trunk every month.
2. Waited too long? Use sharp pruners
Use sharp, clean pruning shears and cut tight along the green-to-brown line.
Never rip big ones off. Tearing strips the bark and leaves an open wound that's slow to heal. |
3. Protect bare trunk from sunburn
You don't need pruning sealer. A clean cut in the right place heals on its own. What you do need to watch in the desert is sunburn. If clearing the lower trunk leaves bark exposed to the sun, paint it with white interior latex paint mixed half and half with water.
When is the best time to remove suckers and water shoots?
Suckers and low water shoots can come off any time of year. The smaller they are, the easier the cut. Bigger cuts up in the canopy need better timing. Here in Tucson, late winter into spring (about February through April) is the best window. Avoid big cuts through the summer, when newly exposed bark can sunburn, and in late fall, when new growth can get hit by frost.
BEYOND SUCKERS
Why does my tree keep growing suckers?
Rootstocks are vigorous by nature, so some suckering is normal, especially on young trees. A flush of suckers can also follow stress or damage to the top of the tree, such as frost damage.
Pruning won't fix a thirsty tree. Most trees we see are underwatered, or the water never reaches out past the drip edge of the canopy where the feeder roots are. Water deep, wide and infrequently, and mulch the root zone.
ThriveRing Tree Irrigation Kit Custom-built for your tree's size and soil, to water past the drip edge |
Want the full watering plan? Read Is Your Citrus Tree Thirsty? How to Tell, and How Much and How Often to Water or get the free Fruit Tree Watering Guide.
PRINT THIS. TAPE IT BY THE BACK DOOR.
Monthly Trunk Check
☐ Can I find the graft union on each tree? ☐ Any shoots coming up from the soil near the trunk? ☐ Any shoots growing out of the lower trunk, above or below the graft? ☐ Any odd leaves (three-part leaves) or extra-big thorns down low? ☐ Small ones popped off by hand, bigger ones cut where green meets brown? ☐ Any bare, sunny trunk that needs whitewash? |
Common questions
Are suckers bad for citrus trees?
Yes. Suckers grow from the rootstock below the graft. They steal water and energy from the fruiting top of the tree, and the fruit they make is usually sour, bitter or seedy. Left alone, they can outgrow and take over the tree.
Will removing suckers hurt my tree?
No. Removing suckers and low water shoots sends energy back up into the canopy where your fruit grows. Small ones can be rubbed or popped off by hand. Larger ones should be cut cleanly with sharp pruners, never ripped off.
Do I need to seal pruning cuts on citrus?
No. Pruning sealer is not needed. Make a clean cut where the green shoot meets the brown bark collar and the tree will grow over the wound on its own. If the cut leaves bare trunk exposed to the sun, paint it with white interior latex paint mixed half and half with water to prevent sunburn.
When is the best time to remove suckers?
Suckers and low water shoots can come off any time of year, and the smaller they are the easier the cut. Bigger cuts up in the canopy are best made in late winter to spring, after the danger of frost and before the summer heat.
Do other fruit trees get suckers?
Yes. Most citrus trees and most deciduous fruit trees, like peaches, plums, apricots and apples, are grafted onto a separate rootstock. Any growth that starts below the graft union is a sucker and should be removed.
Can I replant the suckers I cut off?
You can root them, but the new plant will be the rootstock variety, not the fruit you bought. Its fruit is usually sour, bitter or seedy, so most people compost them.
Get the free Suckers & Water Shoots GuideEverything in this article in an easy 11-page guide, with real photos from our yard visits, including before and after shots of exactly where to cut. |
Want an expert to look at your trees?In the Tucson area? We'll come to you. Book a 1-hour on-site visit and we'll check your citrus and fruit trees, irrigation and landscape, show you exactly what to cut, and give you a clear plan. |
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension citrus care publications; UC Agriculture & Natural Resources citrus pruning guidance. This article is general education based on Tucson, Arizona conditions.
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