Hi,
I planted my semi-dwarf Pink Lady apple tree last spring. I now know that I should not bury the graft but unfortunately, that is exactly what I did. Should I dig it up and re-plant it?

Thanks
Harth
SE Portland

Harth;

I'm sorry, I'm still smiling ... That's a good question - and I hope someone else has a good answer - but in case they don't, I'll take a stab. -Thinking out loud- I done the opposite a few years ago; I had an apple on a 'semi-dwarf' rootstock struggling in orange clay, so I purposely mounded soil up and over the graft union so that it might 'root' - and go 'wild!' No signs of wildness yet...

If you dig soil away, you'll create a sink up against the trunk, but if you leave it, the fruiting variety will / may root, and loose the dwarfing affect. Do you need it dwarfed? (from personal experience) If you prune an apple tree yearly, they can be kept to about any size you desire. I'm no longer scared of a 'standard tree' - I just whip out my Felco Eight's! If you definitely need / want the dwarfing, and you feel it's worth disturbing the tree ... I'd reset it ASAP! I don't know how vigorous Pink Lady is? I've a limb of Pink Pearl, and it looks to be moderately vigorous ... This is a tuff call? ---- Any other / better ideas out there..?

Harth
Since 'Pink Lady' has only been in the ground one year you should be able transpant it or raise it with few problems. Since the tree is now growing I would root prune half of the roots around the tree. Do this by pushing the shovel as far as it will go into the soil. Most of the root will be cut. Go out as far from the trunk as possible, you will have to lift the soil and roots. After one month, root prune the other half of the roots. Then one month later raise the tree. OR go out two three feet from the trunk and start digging, using water pressure to expse the roots, and rasie th tree above the graft.
This is a little bit of WORK.
Pink Lady is a vigorous grower. Hope your tree stays small.
Ted