Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Your gift keeps resources like this database thriving!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Saturday - May 02, 2015

From: Abilene, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seasonal Tasks, Problem Plants, Trees
Title: Oak Sucker Reprise
Answered by: Larry Larson

QUESTION:

----Original Question---- SUNDAY - JULY 06, 2014 Title: Live Oak Suckers Reprise, Austin TX QUESTION: Referring to an entry dated March 11, 2011 about Live Oak suckers - what happened to the suckers covered with newspaper and cardboard? ---Followup Question---- Update on the experiment and how did you prepare the area before laying down the newspaper, cardboard, and 4-6" of mulch?

ANSWER:

For completeness – This link is to the original question/answer:   Live Oak Suckers

This was followed by a “how did it work” question some years later:  Live Oak Suckers Reprise, Austin TX

As this was just written last summer, it’s pretty current. I still consider it a success and the touchup this winter/spring seemed easier than before.  As planned last summer I refreshed the layers.  For the majority of the area under my Oaks, this involved raking up the mulch, strategically adding some more cardboard, and then covering it all with fresh mulch.  I had already gone through and removed all the suckers as much as possible 2-3” below ground level.

  I also did another 50 square feet for the first time.  We had gardening supplies there before. It was a low sucker forest.  I had been using the weedwacker and my hedge trimmer on them as appropriate before.   The initial preparation was pretty much the same – but there’s more work involved.   I went through and pulled & cut on those things until they all were trimmed off 2” below the surface. Then I placed cardboard & mulch as before and hopefully I’ll have a couple years of peace before I need to do much more of the hardcore sucker cleaning!

 

From the Image Gallery


Escarpment live oak
Quercus fusiformis

Escarpment live oak
Quercus fusiformis

Escarpment live oak
Quercus fusiformis

More Trees Questions

Pruning dogwood in TX
February 02, 2011 - I have a roughleaf dogwood (Cornus drummondii) sapling that I would like to keep at shrub height (~6 ft) rather than let it form a tree. Can I encourage this by cutting the main trunk, and if so, by ...
view the full question and answer

Shaping of native hawthorns
October 21, 2007 - I have three young hawthorns that were propagated from a nearby Blackland prairie stand. If I limb them up, will that encourage them to branch more near the top, or will it just ruin the form altoget...
view the full question and answer

Eastern red cedar for indoor Christmas tree
November 06, 2007 - I would love to have a live b&b or container tree for a Christmas tree, then plant it in the ground after Christmas. Would a Eastern Cedar survive if I brought it inside for a couple of weeks before p...
view the full question and answer

Flowering tree with non-invasive roots from Palos Verde CA
June 24, 2013 - Want a flowering tree with noninvasive roots for Palos Verdes, CA.
view the full question and answer

Insect damage on possumhaw
August 12, 2012 - We planted a small possumhaw in February of this year (2012). It had leaves and some berries and was doing real well until some bug starting eating the leaves and berries. I know it is not deer becau...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.