Grapefruit suckers

[leilaniguy]

There is a dwarf grapefruit tree in the yard that started suckering last year, and every time I cut them off, they come back faster and heartier and the tree seems to be suffering. Is there any way to kill the suckers without killing the tree?

[cinnaminnacat]

Basically, suckers have to be removed by hand not chemicals and once they are triggered can be hard to control.

Dwarf fruit trees will be prone to suckering as the rootstock will be more vigorous than the top. Also, any problem (pests, diseases, etc) that diminishes the vigor of the grafted top will tend to encourage sucker growth from the rootstock. And there is always the potential for graft failure.

Every plant has a useful lifespan: maybe it's time to plant a new one in a different location. Citrus is known to take a long time to mature, can be longlived or not..