Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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March 14, 2019 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Drenthe, The Netherlands
Posts: 75
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Not at all. But maybe that's because our biggest problem is late blight, and I don't think grafting would make much of a difference. I never had any other problems with my plants than blight and BER. Would love to try grafting some day. Just for fun.
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March 14, 2019 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b
Posts: 1,110
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I'm loving the thinner razor blades I ordered for grafting last year. They seem to slice better and crush or destroy tissue less. The blades are very thin and flexible.
https://www.amazon.com/SHARK-Super-S...gateway&sr=8-3 Jeff |
March 14, 2019 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: VA-7a
Posts: 121
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Last year I grafted to the rootstocks right below the cotyledons and with the grafts relatively low and so much rain last year I had to keep an eye out for the plants trying to root out from the stems just above the graft. I'm thinking of grafting higher up this year. Besides having to watch out for suckers from the rootstock, any other downsides to that? Any problems getting good grafts or any other issues?
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March 14, 2019 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b
Posts: 1,110
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I have not had any problems as long as the cotyledon stems are shaved off so that the grafting clip fits tight.
Jeff |
March 21, 2019 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40
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People here barely garden. It's unusual if someone starts from seed let alone grafting. I have one friend who tried grafting once while getting her master gardener's status. This is only my first year trying. I did my first batch yesterday.
Tomato disease has been SO bad the last few years here I'm just desperate to get some tomatoes that grow and do well for a while. The last few years I get plants that start dying shortly after we get a few ripe tomatoes. It's not even worth the effort to grow plants that produce so little. |
March 21, 2019 | #21 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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After resisting grafting for years I finally gave it a try and the results were far better than I thought possible. I still had the same abundant foliage diseases and pests but no longer did my tomatoes wither and die from fusarium wilt which is rampant in this area of the state. It was amazing to have plants last the full tomato season right through to first frost. Of course some died from just plain old age but at least half my plants lasted from mid March into early November which was unheard of down here. There was one soil disease that still popped up every year and that was Bacterial Wilt and it could be quite devastating to a good portion of my plants some years. When I found RST-04-106 about 5 years ago BW was pretty much a thing of the past at least so far. I liked RST-04-106 for several reasons. It was resistant to all three types of fusarium wilt which was the biggest tomato growing problem here and also resistant to nematodes. The bonus resistance to BW was a real and unexpected plus. It isn't very vegetative which cuts down on the amount of pruning and frequency of supporting the plants grafted onto some of the other root stocks I tried. When I was using some of the other root stocks at the same time I found that I had greater numbers with RST and slightly quicker fruit set. Like any other root stock I found that a few varieties did not do as well with RST as with some of the others and with some varieties the fruit would be somewhat smaller. With most varieties I didn't see any difference in fruit size but I did see substantial increases in the number of fruits with many varieties. Overall I think it is as close to a perfect root stock as possible for this area of the country plagued by fusarium, nematodes and BW. I am willing to try another because I enjoy experimenting with various combinations and would like to find a root stock that works with some of the varieties that don't thrive with RST-04-106. So far I haven't found another root stock that is as compatible with so many varieties and that has the unique disease resistance that is needed down here. As far as I know I am the only person grafting around here but I could be wrong. Most of the gardeners just plant what is available from Bonnies and most end their season in July while I continue getting fruit right through the sweltering summer and fall. I do know most commercial growers grow varieties that are resistant to most soil diseases and even some that are supposedly resistant to TSWV; but the taste leaves a lot to be desired. Bill |
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March 21, 2019 | #22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 329
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I was discouraged when grating did not increase frost tolerance
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500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a |
March 21, 2019 | #23 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
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It's different for people that require grafting in area's with high disease pressure. They can't even expect a mater to survive to 2 feet without a graft. It's much like organic (by that I mean resource investment). What is the price point at which an organic tomato is worth it's price? Would you be willing to pay 70% more? 50%? 40%? 30% I'd ask the same about grafted tomato. For say a 20% boost in yield, more consistent yield, and or better disease resistance, what would you be willing to pay? |
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March 26, 2019 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40
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I posted some pics of tomatoes a couple of years ago and was told I probably had early blight but also possibly verticillium or fusarium. We have high disease pressure here in North GA. So I was just trying to go with whatever would prevent most disease. I need some more suggestions for preventing early blight too. But I went with the RST-04-106 rootstock. And am just trying to get some grafting off the ground.
I found mold in the healing chamber last night though. Green mold on the skewers not algae. Any suggestions? I'm not sure of how quickly to acclimate things out of the healing chamber and would love any suggestions I can get. Thanks! |
March 26, 2019 | #25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
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Or get a proper propagation dome for your seed tray. if you can't be bothered building a healing chamber. Also for your neck of the woods, I'd ask Darel/Fusion_Power. Last edited by Scooty; March 26, 2019 at 03:15 PM. |
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March 26, 2019 | #26 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: VA-7a
Posts: 121
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I mentioned in the other grafting thread that I had good success with just slowly opening the healing chamber little by little over a series of days so that the humidity dropped gradually bit by bit. With these domes I plan to open the top ports slowly over a few days, then lift one edge up a bit, etc. until I can take them off completely. I tried going "cold turkey" for a little bit at a time, but it was too stressful to see them get wilty each time. |
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March 26, 2019 | #27 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Chicago-land & SO-cal
Posts: 583
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March 26, 2019 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: VA-7a
Posts: 121
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March 27, 2019 | #29 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40
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May 17, 2019 | #30 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: wales uk
Posts: 236
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I can get grafted tomato plants for £2 each in the UK. Organic as well but there is £5 delivery charge on top and limited varieties, Say if I bought 10 it would work out at about $30 so $3 each |
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