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  • From: sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>
  • To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Burying graft union; scion will root?
  • Date: Fri, 31 May 2013 01:46:28 -0500

On 5/30/2013 11:19 PM, Steven Covacci wrote:
Hi,


I've started a practice of burying the graft-unions (2" bellow ground) of trees
grafted unto seedling rootstocks of like species (i.e. P. cerasus on P. cerasus) - as
long as the sapling is of 1" or less caliper. I haven't had he scions root in
these cases yet one and two years later (dogwood tree types, plums, peaches, apricots
and sour-cherries).


Rationale: to eliminate just an unnecessarily source for borers to enter and
the fact that there is always a degree (minute or not) of incompatibility
between the scion and the understock - even in cases where they are both of
like species and even subspecies.


Do you believe that the scion portion that is buried will root? If so, will
both resulting rootsystems collectively persist (that of the scion in the
upper portion of the soil, and that of the rootstock in the lower portion -
being the original root mass)? Might the tissue of the scion (trunk) be past
the point of being able to produce roots due to advanced development beyond
being in the seedling stage?


Thank you,


Steve NJ



Steve,

Most likely, the scion will develop roots and may kill the roots of the rootstock. At that point,
the tree loses it's dwarfing characteristic and the benefits of a strong root system of the original
rootstock. If you are going to do what you propose, why not just graft your scion onto a standard
rootstock and forget about growing dwarf trees. Scions can take root at any time, if you put them
in contact with the soil.

I don't understand your logic about the borers. They don't necessarily prefer to enter a tree at the
graft union.

Sherwin Dubren, IL




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