dwarf apple planted a bit too deep?

[Mad Professor]

Planted this dwarf with graft ~ 3" above soil. The last two years some mowing blew cuttings/debris up against trunk and some weeds took root in that. Nice little tree trunk is ca. 2 1/2" above graft and about 6' tall. Produced a nice little crop last year.

Upon removing the weeds and crap I found a few small roots started above the graft pencil lead size, one about the size of a pencil, and one right at the graft the size of my little finger.

The real small stuff I removed and plan on snipping the pencil size root. What about the larger stuff at or just below the graft. How close to the graft will roots cause the dwarfing rootstock to be not effective?

Will move the soil back so no more will sprout........

 

[Coppice]

Recontour your lawn. Prune out roots above the graft and lay mulch out six inches away from the trunk. Roots growing below the union will be from rootstock.

For what it worth, a tree on its own roots, may have the potential to grow large(r). But the human with the saw & nipper has the final say.

 

[ch woodchuck]

Sounds like good info.Dwarfs stay pretty small I.ve got a few :braeburn-fuji and pink lady.The juji's four foot tall,produces like crazy.pink ladies about 5 foot fair producer,The braeburn has small production...but the apples
are to die for.Good luck with the tree

 

[c5rulz]

The graft should be 4-5" above the ground. remove anything growing above the graft and make sure everything is from the rootstock. The rootstock controls the size.

 

[HuskyHeadDave]

Planted this dwarf with graft ~ 3" above soil. The last two years some mowing blew cuttings/debris up against trunk and some weeds took root in that. Nice little tree trunk is ca. 2 1/2" above graft and about 6' tall. Produced a nice little crop last year.

Upon removing the weeds and crap I found a few small roots started above the graft pencil lead size, one about the size of a pencil, and one right at the graft the size of my little finger.

The real small stuff I removed and plan on snipping the pencil size root. What about the larger stuff at or just below the graft. How close to the graft will roots cause the dwarfing rootstock to be not effective?

Will move the soil back so no more will sprout........

In late winter I'd remove the root three inches below the union. It will close and the plant will be fine utilizing its deeper roots