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Wixom MI.

Who is trying grafting tomatoes this year and has anyone done it before ?

4/26/2018 1:08:55 PM

Mn

I did it last year and didn't have any luck growing a monster mater.

4/26/2018 1:16:44 PM

Wixom MI.

Im trying to get a 6"-8" rootstock plant so that the insicion stays above the ground level. I also would like to burry some of the graft part deeper to help sprout more roots !!! But it is hard to get the timing right for the top and rootstock to match up ???

4/26/2018 1:45:49 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

I have done grafting for all of my maters, competitive & eaters for the last 3 years.
I had tried top grafting but my success rate is much higher ( around 95%) with approach grafting & there is an added advantage of not having to use a humidity chamber.
I usually have the graft union 2.5-3 inches above the soil & I work with that.
I frankly have never considered trying to get the graft union that high but I can see the advantages.

4/26/2018 2:00:18 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

I should add that I obviously see an advantage to grafting.
For my eaters, the plants produce at least twice as much fruit by weight as an ungrafted plant, even more if you have a high amount of disease in the soil.
And I have found that the fruits are around 1/3 larger.
It is hard to make that judgment on the competitive plants because so much is dependent on the blossom size.
However it stands to reason that a healthier plant will produce a larger fruit.
Now, it doesn’t help with foliage diseases so you are still spraying fungicide.

4/26/2018 2:10:02 PM

Wixom MI.

Materdoc witch rootstock due you use ? I tried grafting about 3 years ago and found that my plants lasted longer into the season and the fruit was a bit larger on average but i didn't know how to grow the big tomatoes back then. This will be my first try on a competition tomato.

4/26/2018 8:23:46 PM

Central NY

What kind wixom?....and that wouldn’t affect a cross at all would it?...errrr...would it?

4/26/2018 9:28:09 PM

Wixom MI.

I don't think grafting effects the genetics of a tomato cross. Almost all the watermelon guys due it now !!! I don't know if it will help grow a bigger tomato or not, but i will always try something different to see what happens !!! The problem i see with rootstock is their are maybe 10 different rootscocks out their and its hard to say whitch one will work best ??? Some are for plant vigure some are for fruit production and some are for disease issues.they all claim to be the best so you just have to try The ones that you think will work the best. Trail and error !!! I figure that i will give 3 of them a try to see what happens.

4/26/2018 9:44:00 PM

Wixom MI.

The 3 rootstocks that i am going to try are
Maxifort
Supernatural
Spirit

4/26/2018 10:03:53 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

I have tried 6 tomato rootstocks, also grafted tomato onto eggplant.
The rootstock I am using now is Arnold & DRO141TX.
I have compared the results I have gotten with Giants & there is no significant difference between them.
What I have found is that DRO141TX is slower to germinate & I have to start it 2 days prior to my scions.
Wixom, I did try Supernatural.
There wasn’t anything wrong with it but I got bigger tomatoes with the other 2 rootstocks.

4/29/2018 12:09:39 AM

Bloomington, IN USA

Wixom, just saw your grafted plant.
Very nice.
I guess the reason I have limited my grafting to a rootstock stem of 2.5-3” is because I do so many.
I’ll do 110 grafts.
Also, that’s all I have seen before.
And you’re right.
I have to pay a lot of attention to the graft union & frequently have to prune roots going down from the scion & shoots coming up from the rootstock.

4/29/2018 10:49:28 AM

Wixom MI.

I think that when you see grafted tomato plants being sold that they are using the maxifort rootstock and i think you are right about the supernatural rootstock its just a fancy name.
I have never seen the two rootstocks that you are using, were did you find those ?

4/29/2018 11:22:44 AM

Bloomington, IN USA

Supernatural is highly thought of, I just didn’t find that it produced the largest fruit for me.
The DRO141TX I got at Johnny’s.
The Arnold I got from Holmes Seed Co. Last year I had to get it from England.

4/30/2018 12:08:10 AM