Sorting out suckers

This rose sucker advertised itself by tall stems bristling with small thorns, topped by large flowers. From a vigorous Rosa rugosa rootstock, this should be rogued out before it dominates the cultivated rose

- ANNE SWITHINBANK

Q A lot is written about suckers and I suspect some of my plants might have them. What are they, why are they there and how can you stop them from coming back?

Daisy Richmond, Yeovil, Somerset

A Suckers are both a curse and a blessing, but probably more of a curse. These are new plants sent up from the roots of existing plants and usually connected by a woody stem.

I have benefited from suckers formed by shrubs growing on their own roots by digging, severing the connections and lifting them already rooted from autumn to spring, ready to form independent new plants. I was less pleased with the suckering habit of Cornus alba ‘Spaethii’, the dogwood with dark-red stems and, from spring to autumn, gold-splashed leaves. While my back was turned, an attractive patch spread into a vast clump. It had to be removed by a mini-digger.