Home Grown Tomato Grafts

Dutch · April 11, 2011

Some pictures of our early home grown tomato graft test run, after 48 hours.

SteveS · April 12, 2011

It is hard to tell from the pics.
How much success have you had? And which grafting techniques have you tried?

A month ago I was practicing grafting with some spare seed I had of some heirloom varieties. I tried some top-grafting, some approach grafting & even invented some techniques. I had about 25% success.

Now recently I have been grafting for the season, using Emperador F1 & Black Beauty Eggplant for rootstock. I am still perfecting my technique, but I have found less success for this session for unknown reasons.

SteveS

johno · February 17, 2012

Anybody else trying grafting? I've started 4 rootstocks for comparison. Now I need to decide on 1 or 2 top varieties. Any suggestions? What about Beefsteak?

SEAMSFASTER · February 18, 2012

I'm considering Magnum, Hawaiian Pineapple and Big Zac for scions on Multifort rootstock.

All seven attempts last year were failures. I just couldn't match up the sizes closely enough.

I'll be trying the superglue method this year along with grafting clips. It looks easier at least:

http://youtu.be/5Fd6tBQTTAg

I have more than 100 extra Multifort rootstock seeds which I would be glad to pass along (at cost) to anyone interested in trying their hand at grafting.

Send PM if interested.

johno · February 18, 2012

Good luck! Sounds like you'll have some mighty fine grafted plants.

Heritage · February 18, 2012

Looking good Dutch!

My sister had 80% successful unions last year grafting OP scions onto Maxifort F1 and Emperador F1 rootstock. She used the silicone clip method and said it was important to keep the new transplants in the 'incubators' until they have taken. In the directions she followed they recommended pulling them out too soon,(I think it was 3 or 4 days, but I'm not positive). I'm going to try a few this year, but, like SEAMS, I think the super glue method looks easier and I will be trying it if I have time.

Of the 50 plants my sister grafted, "African Queen" and "Mullen's Mortgage Lifter" were her two "go to" tomatoes for the entire summer - she rarely even ate any of the other 100 OP varieties she was growing. She said the growth on the grafted plants was noticeably stronger than the non-grafted plants, and they produced later into the fall.

I think grafting is worth trying for those who have problems with soil diseases or want to increase their yield to some degree. Plus, it's always fun to experiment.

Steve

February 17, 2012	#3
johno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Arkansas zone 6b Posts: 441	Anybody else trying grafting? I've started 4 rootstocks for comparison. Now I need to decide on 1 or 2 top varieties. Any suggestions? What about Beefsteak? __________________ You create your own universe as you go along. Winston Churchill

February 18, 2012	#5
johno Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Arkansas zone 6b Posts: 441	Good luck! Sounds like you'll have some mighty fine grafted plants. __________________ You create your own universe as you go along. Winston Churchill

April 12, 2011	#2
SteveS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bloomington, IN Posts: 123	It is hard to tell from the pics. How much success have you had? And which grafting techniques have you tried? A month ago I was practicing grafting with some spare seed I had of some heirloom varieties. I tried some top-grafting, some approach grafting & even invented some techniques. I had about 25% success. Now recently I have been grafting for the season, using Emperador F1 & Black Beauty Eggplant for rootstock. I am still perfecting my technique, but I have found less success for this session for unknown reasons. SteveS

February 18, 2012	#4
SEAMSFASTER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: American Fork, Utah Posts: 160	I'm considering Magnum, Hawaiian Pineapple and Big Zac for scions on Multifort rootstock. All seven attempts last year were failures. I just couldn't match up the sizes closely enough. I'll be trying the superglue method this year along with grafting clips. It looks easier at least: http://youtu.be/5Fd6tBQTTAg I have more than 100 extra Multifort rootstock seeds which I would be glad to pass along (at cost) to anyone interested in trying their hand at grafting. Send PM if interested.

February 18, 2012	#6
Heritage Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego Posts: 1,255	Looking good Dutch! My sister had 80% successful unions last year grafting OP scions onto Maxifort F1 and Emperador F1 rootstock. She used the silicone clip method and said it was important to keep the new transplants in the 'incubators' until they have taken. In the directions she followed they recommended pulling them out too soon,(I think it was 3 or 4 days, but I'm not positive). I'm going to try a few this year, but, like SEAMS, I think the super glue method looks easier and I will be trying it if I have time. Of the 50 plants my sister grafted, "African Queen" and "Mullen's Mortgage Lifter" were her two "go to" tomatoes for the entire summer - she rarely even ate any of the other 100 OP varieties she was growing. She said the growth on the grafted plants was noticeably stronger than the non-grafted plants, and they produced later into the fall. I think grafting is worth trying for those who have problems with soil diseases or want to increase their yield to some degree. Plus, it's always fun to experiment. Steve