How to Graft Heirloom Tomatoes
Grafting is an old technique used by fruit tree growers to produce hybrid varieties of fruit. Since hybrid plants can't reproduce true-to-type, grafting is how growers produce hybrid fruit trees. In heirloom tomatoes, grafting serves a different purpose. Heirloom tomatoes are not as resistant to soil borne diseases as new varieties of tomatoes. Grafting heirloom tomato tops (known as scions) onto a hybrid tomato's root system (the root stock) will give the heirloom plant the disease resistance of the hybrid root stock. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Genetically disease-resistant tomato root stock
- Heirloom tomato scion
- 1.2 mm silicon clip
- Water bottle
- Plastic sheeting
- Sun shade
- Razor blade
- Greenhouse
Instructions
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1
Select seedling tomato heirloom scions for the desirability of their fruit. Scions should be approximately 2-3 days older than the rootstock plant.
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Select seedling root stock plants for their heartiness against soil-borne diseases. The stem of the root stock should be the same diameter of the stem of the scion.
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3
Use a razor blade to make a slanted cut in the stem of both the root stock and the scion below the seed leaves (cotyledons). The angle of the cut should be the same for both the scion and the root stock.
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4
Match the scion up to the root stock plant along the grafting cut. Secure the two plants together with the 1.2 mm clip.
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Place the plants under a sun shade and cover with plastic sheeting.
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Mist with water twice daily for 3-5 days while the graft heals. Plants must remain in 95 percent humidity at about 85 degrees Fahrenheit while the cuts heal together.
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Wait until the grafts have healed and remove the clips. Then re-acclimate your plants to sunlight conditions by removing the plastic sheeting and exposing the plants to sunlight in the afternoon for an hour. Gradually increase the light exposure over a 3-5 day period. Continue to mist the plants to avoid wilting.
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Move your plants into the greenhouse. Transplant them into larger containers, taking care to keep the graft above the soil line to keep the scion from rooting.
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what is the best root stock for tomatoes.
