How to Get Rid of Suckers from Your Rose Bush

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 2, 2020

Suckers are offshoots that grow from your rose bush when it experiences a trauma. The rose that forms is not the rose you planted, but the rose from the rootstock the rose bush is growing on. These suckers steal all the nutrients from your main rose bush, causing it to eventually die. To get rid of suckers, remove the soil from around the base and pull the sucker off at the rootstock.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing a Sucker

1
Determine if you have grafted roses. Suckers only occur on grafted roses because they are grown on a different rootstock. Wild roses and some varieties of heritage roses are grown on their own rootstocks, so they do not get suckers. If you have grafted roses, any sprout will be a sucker.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- If you get a sprout from a wild or heritage rose, these are the same as the base plant and can be transplanted.
2
Avoid cutting off the sucker. Though you may want to just get rid of it, don't cut off the suckers. Cutting them off will make them come back even worse than before. Instead, use other means to remove the sucker.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Moisten the soil to loosen the soil. It's easier to get access to the sucker if the soil is slightly damp. Dry, hard soil is difficult to dig in. Before you start removing the soil to expose the roots, pour water on it or spray it with the garden hose.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Remove the soil from around the base. To find the source of the sucker, you should get rid of all the soil around the base of the sucker. Expose the roots of the rose bush to find where the sucker is growing from.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Use a trowel or your hands to remove the dirt that covers the sucker.
5
Pull off the sucker. Place thick gloves on your hands to protect them from any thorns. Take the sucker in your hand firmly. Twist the sucker and pull it off. Do this for any buds or sprouts that you see. Only remove the sucker, not the stems of the healthy rose bush.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Identifying a Sucker

1
Recognize a sucker. Suckers are offshoots of your rose bush that grow from underground. They will appear as a separate stem or shoot of the bush, generally with leaves that are lighter in color. They also may have a different number of leaves.^{[6]
X
Trustworthy Source
Royal Horticultural Society
Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants
Go to source}
- Suckers appear when the rose bush is damaged, like from a hoe or shovel.
2
Remove the sucker as soon as you detect it. Though suckers produce rose blooms, they are harmful to your main roses. They suck all the nutrients away from your main rose bush. Suckers are also not the same variety of rose as your main rose bush, but the one used for the root stock. Avoid letting the suckers grow and deal with them as soon as possible.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- As soon as you detect a sucker, get rid of it.
3
Cut suckers away when they are newly formed. Suckers are more easily eliminated if you remove them as soon as they form. New suckers are easy to get rid of, while established suckers that have been growing for a few years may never be removed.^{[8]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Suckers

1
Use caution when digging around your rose bush. One of the most common reasons rose bushes produce suckers is because the roots have been damaged. This usually occurs when someone digs around the rose bush, like when you are weeding.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- When you are digging around your rose bush for any reason, you should take special care not to injure the roots at all.
2
Avoid mowing around your rose bush. Mowing can cause damage the the roots of the rose bush, which may lead to suckers. Instead of mowing right next to a rose bush, use clippers to trim the grass near it. If you are worried about damaging the roots with clippers, pull the grass and weeds away with your hands.^{[10]
X
Trustworthy Source
Royal Horticultural Society
Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants
Go to source}
3
Avoid damaging the roots when pruning. Pruning your rose bushes helps keep your roses looking healthy. However, damaging the roots during pruning can cause suckers to form. You should also be careful when cutting away suckers. If you prune the suckers but damage the roots, more suckers can grow.^{[11]
X
Trustworthy Source
Royal Horticultural Society
Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants
Go to source}

Community Q&A

Question

Can rose suckers live on their own without the host bush?

Ninox

Top Answerer

Yes, you can grow a new plant from a cutting, but be aware of the variety of the suckers.