i think you are talking about SUCKERS ....

but to give you a real answer.. we need to know what plant we are talking about ...

the best way to succeed .. is ... frankly.. to get rid of the problem plant ... there are so many good things for the garden.. just explain whats so great about this piece of carp.. that you insist on spending money on making it do what its genetics demand it do???

a pic of the plant.. will probably get you an ID.. and we can go from there ...

ken

Tbone, pay no mind to ol ' ken....he's always suggesting that people get rid of plants. He might be right in some instances, but he doesn't have enough information about your situation to make that call.

I'd like to know what kinds of plants these are. Do they have a very strong stoloniferous (spreading) habit...what you describe doesn't really sound like suckering to me.

The very act of pruning plants can result in a flush of growth. Pruning, above and below ground, stimulates growth. You can largely eliminate that natural reaction by cutting a branch all the way back to a primary stem or to the main trunk.

But it does depend on the kind of plant. Once we have more information from you, we may be able to make some good suggestions. Pictures might be helpful.

Maybe our ken will get his wish, after all. :-)

ah rhiz.. you know too many peeps who visit have sentimental attachments to nightmare plants.. and i freely offer them the option of getting rid of them ...

and they surely will do whatever they want...

but crimminey... or as gomer used to say.. shazamm ... why mess around with something that bugs you so much you write a post about it.. lol ...

sometimes i think about getting rid of my crabapple collection.. for all the suckers those sucker throw out..

ken

Well I tried the Sucker Stopper this year on my Crabapple. Guess what - it worked. You have to do it every year, but that beats the heck out of pruning out suckers numerous times per year. It's really expensive and this year I sprayed it on. It's really thick so you use a lot of product. Next year I am going to try a sponge paint brush to put it on. Now a Crab is a little different as the suckers come off at the base of the tree and not a ways away.

Ken maybe try some of this next year. You prune off the first bunch and put it on then. I have not had anymore suckers after the first bunch in the Spring. No where local sold it so I had to order it online. With shipping I think it was around 40 for the big bottle.
Cher

Suckers produced by trees, aka root shoots - like the crabapples - are different in nature than those produced by caning or rhizomatous/stoloniferous shrubs. Applying a sucker stopping chemical (essentially a herbicide) on these types of plants could create serious damage, maybe even kill them.

As rhizo suggests, photos or some sort of identification of the plant(s) in question is necessary to properly inform you how to deal with this issue.

Itea and Korean Dwarf Lilac are the plants...and I have no intention of ripping them out. They're very healthy and perfect in my landscape.

Thanks.

You're in for a life long battle with Itea....aggressive suckering is what they do. Basal sprouts on this plant can grow like crazy. Try cutting them all the way back to the main trunk, as suggested earlier.

Using a growth regulator like the 'Sucker Stopper ' might be a great idea. I've used it on apples.

I actually like shrubs that sucker. It makes them look more natural and established, instead of just planted from a pot kind of look.

Itea is a great plant that has always spread slowly but surely for me.