Non Bonsai tree question.

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I purchased two small Eastern Redbud trees (not bonsai) this spring, for my front yard to replace the two that I cut down. Fast forward to today and I notice, three possible new saplings growing from one of them.

Pictures.

Semi-mature Eastern redbud for reference.


Saplings on my young tree.



Is that one or three?



Questions.

1. Is it normal for these to grow or is something wrong with the mother tree and this is a warning sign?
2. Can/should I collect these saplings? If Yes, when?
3. Should I leave them?
4. Can it Bonsai?

 

[HardBall]

I suspect your tree is grafted and these suckers are arising from the rootstock. I've seen this before where a white blooming cultivar has red blooming suckers.

This is a very difficult species to 'bonsai.' Leaves stay really large and they do not adapt well to pot life.

 

[19Mateo83]

They look like suckers, dig down a bit and find out. In my experience this part of the nature of redbuds. Was the tree pruned recently? Are the leaves the same below as above?

 

[Tums]

The lump in your picture looks like a graft point? So these wouldn't be whatever you got on top and I would cut them off. Also, is your tree planted too deep? Suckering could be a sign of that.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I suspect your tree is grafted and these suckers are arising from the rootstock. I've seen this before where a white blooming cultivar has red blooming suckers.

This is a very difficult species to 'bonsai.' Leaves stay really large and they do not adapt well to pot life.

I have no idea if the tree was/is grafted. Is there a way to tell by looking at it? I think they are suckers.

They look like suckers, dig down a bit and find out. In my experience this part of the nature of redbuds. Was the tree pruned recently? Are the leaves the same below as above?

No, I haven't pruned it. The leaves have the same shape, but a different color.

The lump in your picture looks like a graft point? So these wouldn't be whatever you got on top and I would cut them off. Also, is your tree planted too deep? Suckering could be a sign of that.

By "lump" you mean the knots/old cuts? I don't think it's planted too deep, I have 3-4 inches of mulch on top, maybe that's too much?

I dug down a little more & they are coming from the base of the trunk.



Full tree. As you can see I removed the suckers.

 

[Tums]

The best practice for planting trees is to avoid having mulch or soil touching the trunk above the root flare/nebari, to keep the trunk dry and avoid decay (the opposite of the mulch volcanoes you unfortunately see all the time).

I assumed the knobs/old cuts were the graft point but I can't be sure. It would be more likely if you got some special cultivar of redbud because I've never seen cutting-grown redbuds.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

The best practice for planting trees is to avoid having mulch or soil touching the trunk above the root flare/nebari, to keep the trunk dry and avoid decay (the opposite of the mulch volcanoes you unfortunately see all the time).

I assumed the knobs/old cuts were the graft point but I can't be sure. It would be more likely if you got some special cultivar of redbud because I've never seen cutting-grown redbuds.

Okay, thanks for the info. I'll move the mulch away from the trunk. It's been so dry I thought I was helping keep it moist.

 

[rockm]

Okay, thanks for the info. I'll move the mulch away from the trunk. It's been so dry I thought I was helping keep it moist.

Mulch is supposed to help retain moisture around the root mass. The root mass isn't up against the trunk. Smother the trunk with a pile of mulch can lead to crown rot, multilevel roots. That close in mulch pile, or "mulch volcano" also mostly negates using mulch, as the roots it seeks to help protect can be 10 to 20 feet away, or even farther. "Mulch volcanoes" CAN help newly planted trees, but the have to be actual volcanos--with a concave interior near the trunk and walls two or three feet out. That can funnel water to newly-planted and compact root masses, but the effectiveness of that goes away as the tree grows and the roots extend well beyond it. Sorry, mulch volcanos are a pet peeve of mine...

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Mulch is supposed to help retain moisture around the root mass. The root mass isn't up against the trunk. Smother the trunk with a pile of mulch can lead to crown rot, multilevel roots. That close in mulch pile, or "mulch volcano" also mostly negates using mulch, as the roots it seeks to help protect can be 10 to 20 feet away, or even farther. "Mulch volcanoes" CAN help newly planted trees, but the have to be actual volcanos--with a concave interior near the trunk and walls two or three feet out. That can funnel water to newly-planted and compact root masses, but the effectiveness of that goes away as the tree grows and the roots extend well beyond it. Sorry, mulch volcanos are a pet peeve of mine...

Thanks @rockm you always have rocking advice! And I understand... I have a few pet peeves of my own, and everyone is going to hear about them.