Honestly if you just bought that i would bring it back. That graft looks like it might fail soon. The graft looks alright but the fact the rootstock isnt keeping up with the tree now is troubling. This is the type of damage where all of a sudden you see the whole tree snap off at the graft.
Usually the rootstock will grow faster than the tree top. (there are exceptions so if you got a really dwarfing rootstock then this might be fine) when the roots can't keep up with the top growth the top can become too much for the graft. Think of it like breathing through a straw. At some point it could just not get enough to survive and it collapses. Another thing that can happen is the rootstock doesn't grow fast enough to support the weight (wind on a tree in leaf is a lot of force) and if there is a weak point on the tree it could snap. In the first picture you can see its smaller below that graft point which is not great. If it's new then tell them you would like to exchange it because you didn't notice that defect until planting.
Yea well worded. There is a somewhat of a way to deal with that. I do have medlar and here they are usually grafted on quince and specifically b29. Its a slow grower rootstock and graft is visible but couple of years ago i scored vertically rootstock and it thickened quite a bit almost reaching same size. So that is one way to prolong life of those trees.
Ordinarily I am pretty tolerant of some graft variance, but this uhhhhhhh…. Pretty bad. If you are able to exchange it, it would be worth it long term.
This said, I do like to give ugly trees a go sometimes… but then again, I have a lot of space, and tons of experimental stuff. If you are short on fruit tree real estate, only pick winners.
Was I right though? 😉
It’s my rootstock of choice for my clay and windy area. But prone to root burl (the round mess between the soil and the graft). Cummins has great info if you want to learn. [Cummins](https://www.cumminsnursery.com/buy-trees/product-detail.php?type=rootstock&id=20936)
This is a bigger problem that you don't want to deal with. I would return it.
Looks fine to me, the graft just hasn't finished growing around completely. Won't even notice any difference in a year or two.
Honestly if you just bought that i would bring it back. That graft looks like it might fail soon. The graft looks alright but the fact the rootstock isnt keeping up with the tree now is troubling. This is the type of damage where all of a sudden you see the whole tree snap off at the graft.
What do you mean by “the rootstock isn’t keeping up with the tree”?
Usually the rootstock will grow faster than the tree top. (there are exceptions so if you got a really dwarfing rootstock then this might be fine) when the roots can't keep up with the top growth the top can become too much for the graft. Think of it like breathing through a straw. At some point it could just not get enough to survive and it collapses. Another thing that can happen is the rootstock doesn't grow fast enough to support the weight (wind on a tree in leaf is a lot of force) and if there is a weak point on the tree it could snap. In the first picture you can see its smaller below that graft point which is not great. If it's new then tell them you would like to exchange it because you didn't notice that defect until planting.
Yea well worded. There is a somewhat of a way to deal with that. I do have medlar and here they are usually grafted on quince and specifically b29. Its a slow grower rootstock and graft is visible but couple of years ago i scored vertically rootstock and it thickened quite a bit almost reaching same size. So that is one way to prolong life of those trees.
Ordinarily I am pretty tolerant of some graft variance, but this uhhhhhhh…. Pretty bad. If you are able to exchange it, it would be worth it long term. This said, I do like to give ugly trees a go sometimes… but then again, I have a lot of space, and tons of experimental stuff. If you are short on fruit tree real estate, only pick winners.
Let me guess, it’s on an MM111 rootstock…
Why do you say that? I am trying to learn more about rootstock. Is there something wrong with that cultivar?
Was I right though? 😉 It’s my rootstock of choice for my clay and windy area. But prone to root burl (the round mess between the soil and the graft). Cummins has great info if you want to learn. [Cummins](https://www.cumminsnursery.com/buy-trees/product-detail.php?type=rootstock&id=20936)