If you leave the top growth on the understock it will continue to grow into the tree of its destiny. The graft however, will always be wherever you put it; in your example 2 feet from the ground.

As the understock thickens over time you may get a little upward push, but it will be marginal.

A fun idea would be to take a tall understock, graft something high onto it, grow it for a year letting the understock grow some more, pot it up. Bring it back in next winter, graft something else onto it higher or onto a branch. Repeat for a several years until you have a broom tree.

~Dave

Don't allow the understock to get too many branches. You should be OK as long as you keep a few (3) small ones beneath the scion that when they break bud and the needles begin expanding - you pinch off the new growth near where it started keeping essentially the same length as when it began to grow. Then keep your leader you want to go up and keep an additional couple small branches (on the side behind the scion as not to shade it). The following year, #3 remove one of the lower ones of the (3) so now you only have (2) below graft#1 and (2) above and behind graft #1.

Eventually and it's dare I say common sense that you'll remove those branches in entirety, however, you'll have to have enough foliage from the grafted scion or scions to sustain the now stem you kept from a once headed "tree" as Dave says.

I don't know why you're using harsh chemicals to clean your hands. Those are for the tools. Rubbing alcohol (I don't a thing about nail polish remover) dries your skin and cracks it. That's the last thing I'd use. Instead I use Fast Orange hand cleaner that you buy in the automotive section. It takes a bit longer but removes it all. It has fine pumice granules in it and it's all natural. They sell it in a pump for 6-7 bucks at Walmart. Or you buy a can that you have to remove the lid and dip into. I'd buy the pump if you change your mind.

Dax

to us purists ..

we might consider trying to ban you from GW .. if you do too many standard grafts ..

lol

ken

ps: gee will basically.. remove the leader of the understock.. and at bud elongation of the understock .. cut it back severely ... the idea being that we leave some needles for energy production ... but remove excess .. since the plan is to normally remove the understock within a year [except for real weaklings] ... the understock's proclivity .. usually being the species.. and all green ... will be to put the energy into the dominant parts of the plant.. and that is not going to be the graft ... until you remove the top of the understock ... so the goal will be to reduce its vigor ... OR SO I RECALL ... obviously others have much more experience ...

That's right Ken. I might add that it's a good idea, especially for spruce, to leave a portion of the understock on for an entire year. Don't leave any buds on that portion but just leave say 8" of "stick" above the graft. That piece even though you might think it's not alive since there are no buds will actually stay alive and feed that scion, with or without needles on it. 5" 6" just something, although 8" looks right in my mind.

Then after 1.5. years, the following spring and after you'll have potted it up the year prior, if it isn't a weak scion or super-miniature, cut it off after the scion is done pushing and has set buds for the next year.

Super miniature grafts will require more time, hence leaving on the understock and a few (3-5) or so "weak" side branches. Over the course of 3-5 years you gradually remove them, appx. (1) per year.

With all this, the idea is to maintain a balance of not too much understock but enough to keep the scion alive until such a time that the scion is the only thing remaining.

Dax

I think it's great you are doing some standards. A lot of us that is a good answer to having a few more conifers.
Cher

Dave - What a clever idea. I may just do something really odd like that for fun. Also, you answered my question about the plant not increasing in height. I thought as much but needed to hear it confirmed.

Dax - Thank you for all the information regarding the grafting aspect of a standard. I don't plan on cutting any of my understock branches off until I see that the grafts are really doing well and then I will heed your warning and do so slowly.

Also, fingernail polish is not too harsh on the hands. Mary Kay does make a lot of wonderful hand healing creams etc. :)

Ken - hmmm and here I thought you were such a nice guy. It is all about variety Ken. VARIETY!!! I think you need to broaden your horizons. LOL Just think how lovely a few standards would look in the front of that porch of yours. You would not have all the trimming concerns as with your poor Larix. :)

Cher - Thank you, I agree that they would work nicely in small gardens. You get the pleasure of having the standard AND the possibility of growing a plant beneath the standard. A friend of mine told me most women like standards but the guys like the REAL trees. Based on the above comment it sounds like there may be some truth to that.

I would like my root stock to be about 3' tall, so I will wait a year or two until my understock reaches that height. I may graft some at 2' if I get the urge to try a couple.

Hey lady I would do some 2 footers and 3 footers. There's been photos on here with them together at different heights and it really looks good. Quite a lot of the men here have standards in their gardens.
Cher

High standards,one might add... T.

For a Frenchman (I assume) you are quite witty!

Cher, I do have some 2 footers grafted already. I just want some taller ones also. Not sure how long it is going to take to get my understock to 3' in height...but I'm up for the challenge. I think you are so right though and the look of several planted with different heights would be beautiful.

Whaas, you have to watch out for tunilla, I've seen is cute witty quips on quite a few posts now. LOL

Hey folks...just some word play, to make up for my lack of input (or knowledge) on the true subject I suppose !
"For a Frenchman..." I won't tell THEM ,Whaas, LOL !!!
Come to think of it, I have one Pinus mugo 'Minimops' wich is grafted on a short standard .I think the idea with these tightly packed buns is to keep them off the ground to provide adequate aeration and to avoid smothering by weeds etc. T.

I like to see tightly-packed buns a little higher in the air as well.

:P

'Airy Fairy' hmmm... T.

Tunilla it's time to press the reset button! Your wittiness now has overwhelmed your senses.

Dax

Oh god, it was ~Dave aka Glaciers0:End with the comment! Sorry T!

Dax

Strange what cold can do to the human brain! T.