I am going to try Tamuke yama in my area and hope for the best. I am in zone 8b. There are 2 nurseries in my area that have this variety. One nursery has trees with low grafts, and the other nursery has trees with grafts at about 3 ft. Is either beneficial or detrimental? Please help! I am completely new to maples! Thank to all, Brandy
From a pure longevity standpoint, a low graft has the best chances of a long life. It seems like growth rates and graft compatibility is less of an issue the lower the graft. When we graft high or buy a tall graft, we do so becuase we don't want to wait for the process of staking a low grafted plant and we also perdetermine the initial form of the plant. There is no guarantee that your low graft will have the sought-after form of the high graft. A tall graft gives a more visually pleasing plant faster with reliable outcomes. One commonly seen problem with a tall graft is that the bark of the standard and the bark of the grafted variety will be different. In worst case, red and green contrast, but they can vary in shades and textures. Some growers will take the time to match things up and some will not. When you buy a tall graft, it is important to examine the union and look for one that is smoothly healed and free of voids and problems. A good tall graft is certainly a fine tree as many are sold and it is the predominant way that many dissectums are sold. We are seeing more low grafts offered and they are, I feel, the better choice and in good health. A low graft is worth the wait if you are willing to care for it and stake it, etc. One example of the tall vs. low graft is the variety Geisha. A semi-dwarf that is a pretty lateral grower, but is almost always offered on a tall standard. I can find no reason to graft this plant tall as the understock will not match the variety well and the growth rates seem to differ. It would be much better suited as a low graft. MJH
Thank you very much for your reply. This is exactly the type of information I was hoping to receive! Regards, Brandy
I'll chime in as well... If at all possible get a low graft as this is usually better from an aesthetic standpoint. 1. There can be differences in caliper between the scion and rootstock with the rootstock generally being thicker. With a low graft this is less noticable. 2. With a low graft there is less worry about the rootstock sending out its own shoots and having to prune them off. While I worked at a nursery a couple bought a weeping cherry tree with a very high graft (for obvious reasons), but the rootstock was allowed to send out lots of shoots. I advised them to cut off all of them or they will take over the look of the tree *and* may rob the grafted portion of nutrients. Layne
