Chop below graft

[Jluke33]

Picked up a very young standard acer (on the cheap) today with buds below the graft.I’m wondering if I should just chop completely under the graft and see what I get.

I already took cuttings from a few budding branches when I chopped just above the graft, so I should still get to seee what the top becomes.

but in everyone’s opinion is the root stock usually not great looking leaf wise? If it’s just standard acer either way I don’t see why it was even grafted

 

[Shibui]

Do I understand correctly. The tree is a standard Acer palamtum but grafted?
Are you certain it is grafted? Sometimes a JM that has been chopped or grown as a cutting can look like it was originally grafted.
Your cuttings may or may not grow. Some people seem to be able to do it but after years of failures I have given up and just grow seedlings now.

If the graft? site is ugly you would probably be better to chop and try to grow the shoots from the stump. That usually gives much better taper anyway and may give you the option to style a natural JM shape tree with multiple rising trunks with their apices forming the foliage planes for the tree.