Sucker sprouts growing from the roots of grafted or budded cultivars should be:

Sucker sprouts growing from the roots of grafted or budded cultivars should be:

• A. Leave them to strengthen the root stock
• B. Graft them onto the scion
• C. Transplant them to a separate pot
• D. Be cut off to prevent the root stock from overpowering the cultivar

Answer: (D)

When a plant is grafted or budded, the desirable cultivar sits on top while the rootstock forms the root system. Sucker sprouts that come from the roots are produced by the rootstock and are not the cultivar you want. They compete for nutrients and can grow vigorously, potentially producing fruit or growth habits that don’t match the grafted variety. Cutting these off at the base prevents the rootstock from taking over and preserves the characteristics of the cultivar you selected. If you leave them, the rootstock can become dominant, undoing the purpose of the graft. Transplanting or trying to graft them back to the scion would introduce unwanted traits, and moving them elsewhere would simply propagate the rootstock instead of the desirable cultivar.

When a plant is grafted or budded, the desirable cultivar sits on top while the rootstock forms the root system. Sucker sprouts that come from the roots are produced by the rootstock and are not the cultivar you want. They compete for nutrients and can grow vigorously, potentially producing fruit or growth habits that don’t match the grafted variety. Cutting these off at the base prevents the rootstock from taking over and preserves the characteristics of the cultivar you selected. If you leave them, the rootstock can become dominant, undoing the purpose of the graft. Transplanting or trying to graft them back to the scion would introduce unwanted traits, and moving them elsewhere would simply propagate the rootstock instead of the desirable cultivar.