How low on the trunk/close to the graft is too much when looking to develop low branching? When does it become a sucker? Mostly getting very low shoots on my cherries, but also some pears, plums, etc.
It becomes a sucker under the graft line which you can see the graft line sweeping down from the emerging rootstock. Usually you would graft wherever you want your lateral branches to start, i think the reason most do not start low is because of rabbits as well as if you put something with a virus or gets a disease lower it can kill the tree where as on top you could just lop it off if it were a disease. Many on here plant disease resistant varieties lower and then above them graft something more prone to disease or less made for there climate.
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Thanks Richard! I should also explain that these are DWN cherries (bing, rainier, Royal rainier, and lapins) on Maxma14 rootstock. DWN describes the rootstock as having “very little suckering” but it seems like there’s a fair amount. I plucked most of the ones off that were clearly below the graft line, but there are some that are right on the graft or right above it. I want low branches and I don’t have issues with rabbits or deer, but I’m not sure how close to the graft line I should allow any of the shoots.
This happened to me on a Frost peach. I initially headed the whip to about knee-height, but it died down to the graft union. I then noticed shoots, like yours, growing barely above the union. I chose two of those and have developed them into two nice scaffolds. Worked out very well, bearing fruit and healthy. And yes, branching about 6 inches from the ground.
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