Should I prune this?

This is a tart cherry tree that I planted last spring.



Now some branches(?) are growing up from the root crown area.  Should I cut 'em back?

I'm posting this in "lawn care" because the location of this tree makes it a part of a lawn.

This is a tree planted in the front yard of a corner, city lot.  If I had a few acres I would probably just let it do whatever because I'd have a bunch a trees.  Here, I am thinking of city esthetics for resale value.

I'm also just beginning to learn about tree guilds (thanks to permies).  Any recommendations for a small, front yard tree guild?

Thanks.

I would like to see answers also.  Conventional 'wisdom' has always said that those are suckers, you should prune them, etc. etc..

But here I am learning that things are often the opposite of conventional 'wisdom'.  I thought I read somewhere about rooting and transplanting those - something else I have never done.

One of my apples has sent up a sucker about 4 feet from the tree!

So what does everyone think?

Seems like those will eventually deny light to the plants that will hopefully be guilded along with the tree in the future. If you are planning to create a guild, the tree will probably have to be kept in "an open shape" to allow light in to the other plants.

Also it just occurred to me that if this is a dwarf or semi dwarf tree (it sounds like this is the case because you said you planted it last year, it's definitely not from a seed!), it's going to be on some other rootstock, so the suckers aren't really even the same plant as the rest of the tree. They might even be able to eventually out-compete the desirable part of the tree.

Don't prune them. Break them near the stem but not near enough to accidently damage the tree itself and leave them on the stem. Cut them off next year otherwise the tree will produce new shoots.

@decev: It is a dwarf and the suckers do look different from the cherry branches and leaves.

@Dunkelheit:  Thanks.

No problem. The tree wasn't buried deep enough. When the rootstock gets light it will produce shoots like this. Always happens with cherry trees anyway. In colder climates they naturally grow nicely in a bush form but for other reasons. Can be very productive and easy to harvest.

I was told that the root crown needs to be partially exposed when planting a grafted tree.  This is incorrect?

Yes, this is incorrect. You always plant a tree in the same depth as it was growing before. Some trees need a little mound to grow on like walnut trees or high-stem roses, some need to be planted in a depression. But you never actually change the level where the tree stem has contact with the soil. Grafted or true seed doesn't matter in this case.

True is, that the grafted tree parts shouldn't have soil contact. The grafted part would take root, which brings undesired consequences for the tree with it.

Hope this made any sense.

Prune it. Remove those suckers and it will give your tree more energy to develop