Grafting Tomatoes Article

imp · July 20, 2016

Maybe the people in this article need to come to Tomatoville where there are people doing grafting with tomatoes already.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/..._campaign=news

"About 150 miles north of the farm where Stoddard's plants are growing, Margaret Lloyd – a UC Cooperative Extension small farm adviser for Solano, Sacramento and Yolo counties – is also grafting tomato plants. But she's working with several heirloom varieties, prized for their rich flavor — and grafting them on insect-and-disease-resistant plants.

"We're kind of working at this level of finding non-chemical management tools that will help overcome these challenges, so [farmers] can continue to grow these nice heirloom varieties," says Lloyd.

Lloyd says heirloom tomatoes have a harder time fighting off disease and can easily bruise or break open, so they can't ship very far. Since these tomatoes are staying local, farmers tend to let the fruit ripen on the vine longer. She says that's one reason why heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market tend to be tastier than store-bought tomatoes, which are likely picked before they're ripe."

Ricky Shaw · July 20, 2016

An old trick rediscovered it says. When you want to know about old gardening tricks, find old gardeners. I like NPR and that's a very nice picture of tomatoes in the link.

b54red · July 21, 2016

I wish the flavor difference was just because the tomatoes are picked less ripe for the grocery store but that isn't the main problem. Most of the hybrids for commercial growing around hear can be grown in the home garden and the flavor is still terribly lacking even when allowed to completely ripen on the vine.

Bill

Ricky Shaw · July 21, 2016

So why are heirlooms more flavorful? And why those sweet tasty hybrid rarities, like SunGold and Brandy Boy?

Yak54 · July 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

So why are heirlooms more flavorful? And why those sweet tasty hybrid rarities, like SunGold and Brandy Boy?

Because the list of priorities in modern hybrid tomatoes has taste in the 4 or 5 spot below things like the ability to handle long distance shipping, disease resistance, ability to keep a long time after picking, and the ability to tolerate rough handling of mechanical harvesting machines.

That is why I like Japanese varieties which make taste a high priority.

BigVanVader · July 21, 2016

Mainly because tomatoes bred for commercial production need to be firm, productive and disease resistant. Flavor isnt even in the list of attributes a commercial grower worries about the majority of the time. Its all about getting as many pounds per acre as possible even if they taste horrible. I just recently talked to a commercial grower that sells at market and he said way to much waste in heirlooms, and that he grows to make money not to make customers happy

I guess that is one way to look at it.

imp · July 21, 2016

The part about the hybrids was of secondary interest to me, but the part of the article about grafting heirlooms onto to disease resistant root stock was the first thing for me. I thought of B54red immediately, and how he grafts due to disease pressures and has been doing so for quite awhile.

BigVanVader · July 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by imp

The part about the hybrids was of secondary interest to me, but the part of the article about grafting heirlooms onto to disease resistant root stock was the first thing for me. I thought of B54red immediately, and how he grafts due to disease pressures and has been doing so for quite awhile.

Yes, I know of a guy in Asheville NC that has been grafting heirlooms onto rootstock and selling the tomatoes all over the area. He makes a killing and has been doing it for years. So it isnt a new thing, but as is typical it takes a loooong time for the standard practices to change even when it makes sense. Also if you think about it most big growers dont grow heirlooms so no need to graft.

My Foot Smells · July 21, 2016

Is there another crop more labor intensive than growing tomatoes?

A quick google search, says "yes there is:"

1. Sweet Cherries.
2. Asparagus.
3. Apples.
4. Peppers.

would have thunk that maters made the top of list, but not so......

imp · July 21, 2016

Don't forget most of the berry crops and melons, too.

My Foot Smells · July 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by imp

Don't forget most of the berry crops and melons, too.

Yes, I spoke too soon. But tomatoes bruise so easily, it makes transport more difficult, as well as, other aspects such as shelf life of a tomato also contribute.

China attributes to growing about 25% of the tomato produce in the world, but doubt those go far. TBH, I'm not really sure where the super market (herein after referred to as "they") gets their supply. There are some local commercial outfits that grown determinate (mtn. spring??). I do see where they carry heirloom this time of year, as well as a chocolate 2 pack and others. But not a very big selection at all. I looked last time, but am real bad with names.

BigVanVader · July 21, 2016

Peppers are hard to grow? Not for me, they seem to produce more than I ever need with virtually no care.

My Foot Smells · July 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Peppers are hard to grow? Not for me, they seem to produce more than I ever need with virtually no care.

think they mean harvest. Google search was: "most labor intensive crops."

Peppers are easy to grow but I don't know how they commercially pick peppers, agree, much easier than a tomato to grow - much. I've driven past the tabasco pepper farms in LA, where they have 10K+ acres of peppers, but not sure how they get them from the field.

I was surprised peppers made the list too, but not my list. They say if it weren't for migrant farm workers, you probably would never eat a long stem cherry unless you lived in the vicinity. Each one is individually hand picked (maybe for pepper too?).

BigVanVader · July 21, 2016

Likely, picking time and labour are a major concern for many fruit growers. Blueberries and blackberries come to mind. Takes a lot of work to pick a bushel.

My Foot Smells · July 21, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Likely, picking time and labour are a major concern for many fruit growers. Blueberries and blackberries come to mind. Takes a lot of work to pick a bushel.

Which probably brings us to the crux of the query, here is a commercial tomato picker:

That being said, the guys at the local market are probably just too lazy to hassle with the heirloom factor. I doubt anybody has a production close to the picture above, which denotes determinate tomatoes that don't require stakes or support and can be obtained in a single harvest - so the machine can just "mow em down."

July 20, 2016	#1
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	Grafting Tomatoes Article Maybe the people in this article need to come to Tomatoville where there are people doing grafting with tomatoes already. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/..._campaign=news "About 150 miles north of the farm where Stoddard's plants are growing, Margaret Lloyd – a UC Cooperative Extension small farm adviser for Solano, Sacramento and Yolo counties – is also grafting tomato plants. But she's working with several heirloom varieties, prized for their rich flavor — and grafting them on insect-and-disease-resistant plants. "We're kind of working at this level of finding non-chemical management tools that will help overcome these challenges, so [farmers] can continue to grow these nice heirloom varieties," says Lloyd. Lloyd says heirloom tomatoes have a harder time fighting off disease and can easily bruise or break open, so they can't ship very far. Since these tomatoes are staying local, farmers tend to let the fruit ripen on the vine longer. She says that's one reason why heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market tend to be tastier than store-bought tomatoes, which are likely picked before they're ripe."

July 21, 2016	#9
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	Is there another crop more labor intensive than growing tomatoes? A quick google search, says "yes there is:" 1. Sweet Cherries. 2. Asparagus. 3. Apples. 4. Peppers. would have thunk that maters made the top of list, but not so...... Last edited by My Foot Smells; July 21, 2016 at 01:27 PM.

July 20, 2016	#2
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	An old trick rediscovered it says. When you want to know about old gardening tricks, find old gardeners. I like NPR and that's a very nice picture of tomatoes in the link.

July 21, 2016	#3
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I wish the flavor difference was just because the tomatoes are picked less ripe for the grocery store but that isn't the main problem. Most of the hybrids for commercial growing around hear can be grown in the home garden and the flavor is still terribly lacking even when allowed to completely ripen on the vine. Bill

July 21, 2016	#6
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Mainly because tomatoes bred for commercial production need to be firm, productive and disease resistant. Flavor isnt even in the list of attributes a commercial grower worries about the majority of the time. Its all about getting as many pounds per acre as possible even if they taste horrible. I just recently talked to a commercial grower that sells at market and he said way to much waste in heirlooms, and that he grows to make money not to make customers happy I guess that is one way to look at it.