These suckers emerge below the bud union. Canes that grow out of the rootstock will not produce the same kind or number of blooms as the grafted above-ground portion of the bush. The suckers steal nutrients away from the rose bush, weakening it, and thus need to be removed as soon as they appear.
Wild rose and heritage varieties are usually not grafted and are grown from cuttings and thus, will not produce suckers. If you purchased these kind of roses, take note that any canes that emerge from the soil are usually a viable part of the plant and originate from the rose’s ungrafted root system.
When you hear the word suckers, the first thing that comes to mind is most likely that sweet treat enjoyed from childhood. However, in the rose bed, suckers are ornery growths that spring out of the hardy rootstock of grafted rose bushes, just below the grafted knuckle union.
Where do rose suckers come from?
The new basal growth of rose stems also emerge from the rootstock, but from the top. It is from this root stock that rose suckers can emerge. The suckers are simply stems forming from the vigorous rootstock. These suckers are much more vigorous than the cultivated rose, and will soon rob the choice rose of its food supply unless dealt with.
Where do rose suckers grow from?
The part where the top part of the plant joins the rootstock is called the ‘Bud Union’ which often looks like a nobbly knot of wood. It’s just under the bud union that rose suckers grow from.
What happens if you leave sucker canes on roses?
They Can Kill the Plant – If left to grow, rose sucker canes will ‘suck’ the nutrients needed for growth and development from the rose bush. This weakens the upper part of the bush, sometimes to the point where the whole thing dies.