Trees – Why Are They Grafted?

Q: Why are many trees I buy grafted and why do they seem to fail at the graft (break off, split open, etc).

A: Trees are commonly grafted because it takes longer (i.e. costs more) to grow them from cuttings. The graft unions are admittedly weaker than a naturally connected tree trunk but this is not usually a problem if the tree is not in a windy spot.