Hello,
Ive grafted 30 trees, 20 apples and 10 pears. Apples are on mm106 and pears are on quince A. I know i don’t want to plant the tree too deep and allow the scion to root but im just wondering if i can bury part of the rootstock stem? Would it root from up tue stem and develop a bigger stronger rootball or is it likely to rot?
Thank you,
Jamie
Standard method for non-dwarfing rootstocks is to plant bare roots at about the graft union. I believe the reason you must be cautious about dwarfing rootstocks is that you may lose dwarfing ability if scion wood roots out.
Interestingly, early colonial pear growers used to use quince for pears in areas too cold for it by burying the graft union well below the soil line. Pears don’t have a strong tendency towards scion-rooting apparently, I suspect neither to the majority of apple varieties, although I’ve encountered conflicting information from the literature. Certainly Tukey, in his classic book about dwarfing rootstocks, suggests that most varieties don’t tend to do so.
The only other danger about planting whips too deep is the existing root structure may not be able to function where the soil is cooler and there is less oxygen.
Thanks alan that sounds like great advice. Sounds lile i can certainly plant them deeper and the tree will likely root from the stem and strengrhen?
Thamk you again,
Jamie
