Beginner Q about graft union

Hello! Complete novice here. :face_with_spiral_eyes: I recently purchased this David Austin Evelyn rose and I’m trying to get it into the ground without destroying it. I’m in zone 6 and am reading that it’s a good idea to bury the graft union a few inches below the soil … but which point is the graft union? I feel a little embarrassed to be asking such a basic question but I’d rather not guess. Thank you!!! :rose:

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I see your dilemma, it almost looks like it was grafted in two places. More than likely, your number 1 is where the original graft should be. It might be worthwhile for you to contact David Austin in Tyler,TX, and find out what they think.

Welcome and no question is too basic.

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Thanks for the response! This makes sense to me and I’ll reach out and see what they have to say :crossed_fingers:t3:

Sometimes David Austin grafts several buds to the rootstock, just in case one of them does not take. I would bury it as directed for winter protection.

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Typically when multiple buds are placed on one root stock, (usually two), they are placed at the same level and not separated by three inches from each other. If in fact you have two graft unions several inches apart from each other, then the stems arsing from point #2, the two growing towards the left side of the picture would be suckers from the root stock! IF this is a grafted plant, then the graft union is at point three in your picture with a lot of it buried. Your point number one bears watching. Keep an eye on it to see it becomes a crown gall. Ideally every rose grower would learn to recognize the commonly used root stocks (Multiflora, Dr. Huey and Fortuniana) by looking at the foliage as all three have distinct foliage. Then one can quickly recognize the root stock sucker.There is a small possibility that this plant may not be a grafted one at all. Own-root plants do tend to develop “knots” that look like graft unions at different levels.

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That is confusing! If it is #1, it doesn’t look that good. It wouldn’t be the start of gall would it?