Some people seem to do this to encourage a tree to grow on it’s own roots. Other people say this can cause rot and hurt/kill a tree. But those two ideas seem to be at odds with each other. Is it that only some types of trees are likely to grow their own roots?
Encouraging a tree to grow its own roots is at odds with the notion of grafting, which supplies the tree with a rootstock
it won’t hurt the tree, but you’ll lose any dwarfing effect the rootstock would have provided. you’ll end up with a standard sized tree.
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One point is if there is a significant difference between the rootstock and the scion regarding their vigor. For example, if the rootstock is dwarfing and the scion is vigorous and the scion forms roots the end result is a vigorous tree.
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I don’t think it has to be. Some trees, I’m thinking persimmons here, don’t come on their own roots and can die back in marginal zones some years. In that case it makes sense to plant them with the graft below the soil line so they might come back true instead of just as rootstock. But you’re absolutely right when it comes too trying to maintain characteristics of the rootstock.
Good point. and disease resistance too.
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In apples most of the Malling rootstocks M7,M111 were bred with Northern Spy in the parentage because of its singular resistance to Rosy Apple Aphids. But there was a researcher and apple breeder (Red Devil) in England named Hugh Ermen that still believed ,quite strongly apparently that apples were best grown using the grafted rootstock as a nurse root. I’ve also been told by an old cold country yankee that if you keep apple grafts below the soil line you buy yourself a bit of protection in a test winter. Sorry I don’t have a link handy for the late Mr. Ermen but I read about him on Orange Pippen some years back. About half of our apples are planted with the graft well buried…time wil tell.
Happy planting, Tom
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The instructions that came with some trees I ordered from Grandpa’s Orchard one time said in part:
o Most seedling and standard rootstock trees may be planted with the bud union covered and 1-2" below ground level— Soil level A.
o Dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstock trees should always be planted with the bud union exposed and 2-4" above ground level—Soil level B.
Then there was a picture there in case you needed it.
https://www.grandpasorchard.com/page/Planting-it-Just-right
In that instance I did have some standard trees and followed his advice on those, but I must admit it kinda went against my better judgment. I’ve seen no ill effects so far on those couple trees anyway.
Since it wasn’t mentioned… Planting deep always comes with a risk and therefore can hurt the tree. If you study tips about planting trees you will learn how deep a tree should be planted. If done correct only the roots will be covered by soil, thats the optimum. That way the roots are provided with oxygen and work best.
If you plant deep you actually are hurting that rule and of course it comes with a risk of losing the tree. It doesn’t happen often but happened to me already. It also depends on the type of soil you are growing in (heavy soil means higher risk). Most trees do struggle when planted deep but pull through at the end by developing new more shallow roots.
Some trees also really don’t like their stems to be covered by soil, so rot can become a problem too.
This post is only intended as a heads up. I myself do plant trees deep here and there for reasons. But you have to be aware of the risk. The risk decreases if the graft is very low anyways. Maybe that is what Grandpa’s Orchard is doing with their standard or seedling rootstocks. Plus those typically have a strong and healthy rootsystem, thats also decreasing the risk.
But to be honest I never saw a nursery suggest planting a tree deep before. They say it is done to prevent suckering from the stock. In my opinion thats not a big problem with the rootstocks used today. It can be if using myrobalane. That said, to avoid suckering you better use a more convenient rootstock. Thats in my eyes the right answer to that problem, not planting deep.
I only do it if I want a variety on its own roots.
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I think if your intent is to get a bunch of trees on their own roots, there are other, more efficient ways of doing so. I know I read about a few of them and can find the articles if you are interested?
Or was this more a"what if"?
If nobody is, I am 
Only if convenient to you. I already read a lot about that topic. This year I am using a fogger for terrariums to construct my own fog chamber like @Alcedo showed in an older post.
This topic is more of a what if. I’ve done it both ways and am just curious to hear other people’s thoughts and practices. @carot’s point about soil type is a good one to consider. I hadn’t thought about that before but it makes a lot of sense that lighter/airier soils would be less risky for rot than heavy clay.
https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/printed-guides/category/14
“For standard-size peach trees, situate the bud union 1 to 2 inches below the soil line.”
Here in zone 4, we are encouraged to plant tender things (like peaches) with the graft union buried. With cold and short seasons, there is already a tendency to lower vigor so size can be controlled by summer pruning and heavy bearing. Having the union buried and forming it’s own roots can gain you that extra 0.5-1 zone hardiness in a test winter which is a big deal when we are already pushing the line. You lose any disease resistance of the rootstock though.
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If I had the time and space, I’d probably plant some own root trees. I read an article that postulated that a lot of fruit considered “touchy” might have a partial incompatibility to the rootstock. I think they used the Gage Plum as an example? They said it was a light cropper on rootstock but bore much more readily on own root.
I have just started growing gage plums so this is an interesting point which could be important. Can anyone point to literature on this specific effect?
I have been grafting European plums onto myrobalan seedlings. Perhaps I should bury the graft to encourange their own roots.
Now that I think about it, “brownline” disease is a plum killer in this area that destroys mature trees at the graft union when using Myrobalan and peach rootstock. Perhaps a deeply planted tree that reverts to its own roots would be able to avoid this problem.
You had me googling to see where I remembered that. It was a throwaway line in this article:
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Here is an article I read about how a woman managed to get own root apple trees without the “stick it in the ground and hope for the best approach” via root grafting.
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Thank you for the effort. At first glance it is a very informative article about many important topics. I am going to read it more thoroughly later. Thanks again
Many varieties and species will not root from buried trunk, at least not reliably. I’ve seen commercial apple orchards where lots of trees were planted “too deep” without any obvious consequences in vigor with those trees- the rootstocks were on M7 to 111. Green Gage sets very well here and is quite healthy on myro.
trying to think logically about why anyone would recommend planting the graft underground, this came to mind.
The main reasons we graft are to
- perpetuate a particular cultivar
- reduce time to baring
- Dwarfing
- Convey resistances from the root stock to the scion
Prior to modern root stock when trees where grafted on to random saplings. you could only get feature 1 and 2. so planting with the graft below ground might achieve a more well rooted tree with out worry of the scion breaking away from wind or incompatibility.
I have my first orchard persimmon tree this year (Ichi), and I’m wondering if I should bury the graft. I’m afraid of losing the scion if we get unusually cold here, so ownroot would be nice for that. OTOH, doesn’t the American rootstock add more hardiness in grafted persimmons?
Or would the tree keep both kinds of roots and get the benefit of both?
I don’t even mind if the unusual cold meant a lot of cutting of wood; I just want to know that I won’t lose the trunk and a few buds, lol.