I keep reading posts... About suckers here suckers there, what the heck is it? Pictures? I'm a visual learner. If I "google" sucker... Well a lot of info will confuse me more

jennifer....

If you google: "Suckers, and Water Sprouts" you'll find some photos of exactly what these "branches" look like...and,  an even more explicit, G-rated version can be found by going to: Newton Tree Conservancy....hit: "News and Events"...scroll down and hit: Citizen Pruners Training Events Spring 2009....you'll see just what a sucker is and how to remove this unwanted "thing".  You will not have to avert your eyes, nor will you get "the vapors".  Put the Feinting-Couch in storage, and whip out your pruning-shears.  : )   : )  Very visual, picture heavy...

Hope this helps.

Frank

Frank,

Thanks for the Newton Tree Conservancy site.  The pruning section (way down the bottom of the page) was instructive with good visuals.

Dennis

Glad to help, one, and all.  Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Frank

Ohhhhh... okay wow, thanks folks!

I have some of these growing like your photo shows.  How do you know they are rooted, and how do you safely extract them without damaging the mother plant?
Suzi

Hey Suzi,

If the sucker has been there for a few months, it will have made roots of its own, just like a cutting makes its own roots.
you can carefully dig down to see where it is attached to the mother plant and cut it there and then dig out.
or just slide a shovel down along the mother tree till you feel it hit something solid, and that is probably the sucker, and then give the shovel a good shove. You do not really have to worry too much about damaging the mother plant; figs are pretty tough plants.
Then you can pot it and put in shade for a few weeks until the sucker develops more of its own roots.

Grant
z5b

Thanks Grant!

I almost started a new thread on this subject, but there is so much repetition here, I didn't want to cloud the board!  Great information! 
Suzi

If it's that easy why not propagate more often using them beside that fact that not every tree produces them. I read that some people get rid of them and use cutting. If your tree is producing suckers with roots already  why go ahead and take cutting that might not always root?

The main reason of rooting cuttings instead of using suckers, if you have RKN the sucker will surely have them too where as a cutting is RKN free!

When I was transplanting a small VdB (from a 2 quart nursery band) I noticed some fig greenery growing at the base. It wasn't that thick so I cut it off at it's base - below soil level - with a serrated knife. There were two small shoots and since they both had their own roots, divided those and potted them up in their own bands. That was a couple weeks ago, and both are looking OK. I probably should have left it as one sucker with two basal branches. I put them in with my cuttings for the extra humidity, light, and care. I hope they thrive - VdB is one of the figs on my original 'want' list.

What the heck is RKN?? Lol is it root knot? I'm so sorry still learning

Root Knot Nematode.

Here's a thread from about a week ago on the subject. :)

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/RKN-5842456