Question
I have a beautiful non-fruit bearing tree (cherry?) that has many suckers sprouting from around the base.  Is there a way to remove them without hurting the tree?  They are pretty thick, as if they have not been tended to.  Being that this is a new home for us, I don't know if they just grow quickly or if it has suffered from neglect.  Would sure hate to damage this beauty!
Thanks.

Answer
Sucker or sprout from the lower part of the tree can be remove without harming the tree . In fact these sprouts will suck some of the energy from the tree that it needs to form foliage and blossoms. These can be cut with shears easily. Cut them close to the main trunk or if they are from the ground with ground level. These can be cut anytime of the year so IF they return go ahead and cut these off. The cutting will help the health of the tree.  

Any lower limbs can also be pruned off but wait until the tree has bloomed to do this. Here is a web link to information on pruning trees. http://www.dof.virginia.gov/mgt/how-to-prune.shtml