Maxifort suckers saving grafting costs

ttallos · April 25, 2015

I am letting a Maxifort rootstock plant grow out and getting the suckers off of the plant rooting them and using the rooted suckers to be rootstock for the grafting technique. I have rooted tomato suckers many times it is easy. There is most likely a timeline that can be worked out to save grafting costs.

I have 3 Maxifort shoots from the grafting process should take a week or 2 to grow the roots and get them potted up. I will keep everyone posted when I am successful how to do this.

bitterwort · April 26, 2015

I do a something similar with Maxifort as well. After I cut the top off above the cotyledons, I root it instead of throwing it away, and after it grows a bit more, I graft another scion on the top. The only thing you have to watch out for then is making sure you don't let any of its suckers grow when the grafted plant is in the garden. It seems to take only about two days for them to shoot up to the top of a 5-foot cage. Fortunately, they're very hairy and the leaves are quite distinctive so you can distinguish them from the scion--otherwise I'm sure they'd engulf the scion in no time. It's fun to be creative and save money at the same time, eh?

April 25, 2015	#1
ttallos Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1	Maxifort suckers saving grafting costs I am letting a Maxifort rootstock plant grow out and getting the suckers off of the plant rooting them and using the rooted suckers to be rootstock for the grafting technique. I have rooted tomato suckers many times it is easy. There is most likely a timeline that can be worked out to save grafting costs. I have 3 Maxifort shoots from the grafting process should take a week or 2 to grow the roots and get them potted up. I will keep everyone posted when I am successful how to do this.

April 26, 2015	#2
bitterwort Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MN Zone4b Posts: 292	I do a something similar with Maxifort as well. After I cut the top off above the cotyledons, I root it instead of throwing it away, and after it grows a bit more, I graft another scion on the top. The only thing you have to watch out for then is making sure you don't let any of its suckers grow when the grafted plant is in the garden. It seems to take only about two days for them to shoot up to the top of a 5-foot cage. Fortunately, they're very hairy and the leaves are quite distinctive so you can distinguish them from the scion--otherwise I'm sure they'd engulf the scion in no time. It's fun to be creative and save money at the same time, eh? __________________ Bitterwort