Best grafted tomato varieties?

[livinonfaith]

Originally Posted by aclum

Hi Everyone,

I've really been enjoying reading about everyone's adventures in grafting and, esp. seeing all the photos!! I'll write more tomorrow with a progress report on my activities (hope to start planting out tomorrow), but for now, I'm just seeing if I can master the posting of photos.

I'll be trying to attach a photo of some of my grafts. I think it's from 3 different batches and, unfortunately, I don't recall exactly how old each batch is.

Seems to be working, at least in the preview, so off it goes!! I'll try for some more photos soon.

Anne

Those look really good! Looks like they are at several stages of development.

Can't wait to hear how it goes when everyone starts getting these in the ground.

[livinonfaith]

New question for everyone who is trying this.

Which varieties are you using for the scions? Has anyone noticed any that are particularly easy or difficult to graft? Potato leaf? Cherry? Heart?

I don't see how there could really be much of a difference, but wondered it anyone had noticed any interesting patterns.

[Stvrob]

I haven't noticed any differences in success between scions that I've used. These include Cherokee purple, Brandywine, Amish paste, and Opalka. I didnt take careful notes, so this is just my gut feel that they were all about the same.

[b54red]

I think it is far too early in my grafting experiment to see if some scions take to grafting better than others. Right now my results are just too hit and miss.

Bill

[bughunter99]

I'm very curious on how well the hearts are faring as well. They are such wimpy plants when they are young.

[b54red]

I made the mistake of putting the plants that came out of the chambers a little over a week ago outside today. There was slightly over 50 of them that looked strong enough to get a little fresh air. It was a bit windy then it got really windy and before I could get them back inside some of the grafts separated. So I lost about a half dozen more.

The older grafted plants have been outside for several days. They are looking good and I left them out in the wind figuring if they can't take the wind now then they will probably break shortly after I transplant them this weekend. Besides the strong winds it has been raining hard for about an hour now and it is going to turn cold again tonight. It is only supposed to get in the upper 30s so I am going to leave them out and hope they handle the temperature drop. It is supposed to get in the low 30s Wednesday night so I will probably bring them in for safety in case a hard frost hits. I guess March is going to keep us guessing on the weather.

Still learning the hard way.

[Mlm1]

Bill, that's too bad but sounds very familiar. I've lost a lot of plants this time of year to wind, rain, hail and cold nights. I'm away for the week so I'm hoping our weather prediction is accurate since all of my grafts-to-be are outside. We can get some wild weather in March including freezing and hail storms but I still move everything outside as soon as they germinate since I think the plants are a lot healthier/happier outside. I'm surprised you are still dropping into the low 30's in Alabama. I would have thought you were warmer than we are in Northern California.
Marla

[b54red]

Marla I was planning on transplanting some of my tomatoes by now but this weather is really freaky this year. The temperatures have been fluctuating wildly since Christmas this year. I've had winter crops bolt from the heat and then get frost bitten a week later.

I read somewhere that it is better not to put plants outside before grafting as the sun and wind will toughen the stalks and make them harder to graft. I to like to get my plants outside as soon as possible but I didn't do it with any of the graft prospects. Did you do this with your grafts in the past? I think if the rootstock plants spent a few days outside it would greatly reduce the chances of damping off once the grafts went into the healing chambers. I may try that on some of my future attempts.

Bill

[Mlm1]

Yes, I have kept all of my plants outside as much as possible from the time they germinate. I have been doing this for a few years so all of my rootstock and scions for the last few years have been toughened up prior to grafting. I can't say if it has hurt the grafting process. I will start my grafting next week so I will know soon how this years batch is going to do.
Marla

[Stvrob]

All my grafts were from sunlit grown seedlings. I don't have a dedicated indoor lighting arrangement.

[b54red]

Mine were grown in my small greenhouse and on my porch; but not set outside at all until after grafting was complete. My non grafted tomatoes have been getting as much time outdoors as this crazy weather will allow from the start.

[livinonfaith]

Mine are all grown inside on my dining room table and chairs with only the light from a large South facing window. It certainly isn't optimal, as they grow slowly and get too leggy from lack of light.

The plan was to get them out into the green house, but the door is falling apart and I haven't had a chance to get all of the materials to fix it. (It was handmade by the previous owner and this is the third time I've had to repair it. Not really being a carpenter, I haven't wanted to tackle rebuilding it from scratch, but that's really what it needs.) It's been cold enough that the hole in the door might allow plants to freeze, even with my small space heater.

Anyway, I took a look at my grafts this morning and, miracle of miracles, one of the two wilters that I had given up for dead is standing straight up! (Granted, the other wilter was dead as a doornail, but that was expected.)

So, at this point, nine out of ten still appear to be in the game. Today I am keeping the chamber closed, but letting them get indoor light. Tomorrow I'll try opening it again for about a half day. That will be the real test.

[b54red]

You did the right thing by keeping them inside in the warmth. I doubt they would have frozen in the greenhouse with a space heater but many more of them would have probably failed like mine did on the unheated porch.

My wife lets me have the porch and greenhouse for my hobby but she would definitely draw the line with the dinning room table. If she didn't I would probably manage to make as big a mess in the dinning room as I have on the porch.

[livinonfaith]

b54red, It's just me and my son, so the only one who would complain is my son and he doesn't care about having a formal dining room! Obviously, neither do I!

Lost another plant when I went to pop open the chamber at lunch. The scion fell right out of the clip. I put it back on, but am assuming that it is not going to reattach at this point.

That's a shame because it was one that seemed to be doing well. But there are eight that are still in the running!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by livinonfaith

b54red, It's just me and my son, so the only one who would complain is my son and he doesn't care about having a formal dining room! Obviously, neither do I!

Lost another plant when I went to pop open the chamber at lunch. The scion fell right out of the clip. I put it back on, but am assuming that it is not going to reattach at this point.

That's a shame because it was one that seemed to be doing well. But there are eight that are still in the running!

Yes, I've had that happen. It is amazing sometimes how a scion will look so good yet not be attached to the rootstock at all and sometimes you get a good graft and the scion still dies. I have been amazed after removing the clips from some of the dead ones to find them securely attached to the rootstock.