I was under the thought that in planting you place the top of the root ball just above the soil line. In reading plant and care info on "Daves Nursery" it makes the point of planting the graft line .5"-1" below the soil line. Thoughts?
With grafted maples we plant with the rootball just at or just above the soil line. If you bury the graft the plant will likely die, although if you were to slowly raise the soil level over time you might be able to get the plant to root up to the graft. Generally speaking, follow traditional planting instructions as was you initial impression.
I don't know why burying the graft would kill the plant outright, burying the roots could be a problem if done so as to place them several inches below the surface all in one go. Having the graft get slowly filled in around over a period of years could have the potential benefit of getting the scion onto its own roots, as mentioned.
Maples are probably not as likely to root from the grafted area as roses are. Also, there is or could be an issue of graft decay or disease entrance at the graft as the graft on maples is not terrible strong in many cases. A standard poorly grafted maple would not have a high probability of surviving. But, in the case of some dwarf varities, like grafting circinatum 'Little Gem' on palmatum, an overgrowth of the union commonly occurs and I have heard that it can be preferable to try to bury the graft slowy over time to combat this occurrance. When one intends to bury the graft union, I would think the lowest graft possible would be preferable.
So what you are both saying is that you slowly (over a few years?) bury the understock so that the grafted part could develop its own roots? But wouldn't there be a risk of roots circling underneath and strangling the tree ? Ron B- can you say more about what the benefits of the scion developing its own roots are? Im not sure what you mean by overgrowth of the union, mjh. Can you explain more? Schusch
I can confirm that slowly raising the soil level (or slowly sinking the plant), so as to have the graft union covered after 3-4 years, does not kill (or otherwise damage) japanese maples (or any other maples that I have). This is exactly what happens in my garden due to the yearly addition of hefty quantities of organic matter as mulch. On the other hand I stay away from (and, thus, have not tried out) burying the graft union when planting in the ground. Gomero
