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- Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting
Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting
TOPICS
- Why graft?
- Rootstock selection
- Demo: How to top-graft
- Healing protocol
- Grower experiences
- ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Welcome to the Resources page for our Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting webinar, a list of educational materials covering the basics of getting started with small-scale production of grafted tomato plants.
OVERVIEW: Top-grafting tomatoes can improve fruit production, provide disease resistance, and lengthen harvest duration.
Johnny's Tomato Trialing Technician Daniel Yoder and Northeast U.S. Sales Representative Julie Fine introduce the fundamentals of top-grafting tomato plants.
Northeast growers Skip Paul (Wishing Stone Farm, Little Compton, Rhode Island) and Andre Cantelmo (Heron Pond Farm, South Hampton, New Hampshire) also join us, to share their experience with the process of healing grafted plants.
Our goal is to provide you with the key aspects of top-grafting tomatoes for small-scale production, so you can get started on your own with solid know-how and reliable materials.
The presentation runs approximately 50 minutes, and is followed by a Q&A session. Below are some additional learning resources to help you achieve success with tomato grafting.
Webinar Resources
Tomato Top-Grafting Webinar • VIDEO
Here is the full presentation of our Tomato Top-Grafting Webinar, followed by a Q&A session. The full video runs approximately 80 minutes. Watch…
Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting Recap/Slideshow • 15-pp PDF
A downloadable, printable recap of the Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting Webinar. 15 pages. View…
Tomato Top-Grafting Demo: Splice Grafting & Cleft Grafting Materials & Technique • VIDEO
Join Johnny's Tomato Trialing Technician Daniel Yoder as he provides a 6½-minute top-grafting demonstration as a component of our Fundamentals of Tomato Grafting webinar. Daniel demonstrates both splice grafting and cleft grafting, with diagrams and recommendations for protocol and materials. Learn by watching and practicing on your own, equipped with solid know-how and reliable materials. Watch…
Andre Cantelmo of Heron Pond Farm on Tomato Grafting • VIDEO
This 8½-minute video is presented in support of the curriculum for Johnny Selected Seeds' Tomato Grafting Webinar by Northeast grower, Andre Catelmo of Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Andre shares his experiences with healing grafted tomato plants at his farm. Watch…
Skip Paul of Wishing Stone Farm on Tomato Grafting • VIDEO
This 15-minute video is presented in support of the curriculum for Johnny Selected Seeds' Tomato Grafting Webinar by Northeast grower, Skip Paul of Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Skip shares his experiences with healing grafted tomato plants at his farm. Watch…
Additional Grafting Resources from Johnny's
Grafting Supplies: We offer a couple different kits to get you started, a miter-cut grafting knife and replacement blades, plus an assortment of clips to suit your grafting preferences.Top-Grafting Tomatoes | Advantages, Materials, Technique | Tech Sheet (PDF)
Grafting desirable fruiting varieties to vigorous, disease-resistant tomato rootstocks has become a cost-effective method for growers to overcome many disease and production related issues. Grafting tomatoes can improve production, overall crop health; reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide use; lengthen harvest duration; and significantly increase net income. The entire process from sowing of rootstock and scion varieties to final transplanting of grafted plants into greenhouse soil or soilless media normally takes 6–8 weeks. Materials: Seeds of a rootstock variety. Seeds of a scion variety. Your preferred growing medium. Plug trays of your desired cell size. Shallow leakproof trays. Read More…
Top Grafting Starter Kit | Instruction Manual
Top-Grafting Starter Kit Instruction Manual for Product #7312. Top-grafting involves attaching the top of your desired variety (the scion) to the bottom of a more vigorous variety (the rootstock). Grafting desirable fruiting varieties to vigorous, disease-resistant rootstocks has become a cost-effective method for growers to overcome many disease and production related issues. Grafting can improve production, overall crop health, and vigor; reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide use; lengthen harvest duration; and significantly increase net income. Read More…
'Maxifort' Rootstock Tomato: Steps to Optimize Seed Germination Rate & Seedling Uniformity | Tech Sheet (PDF)
'Maxifort' is an interspecific cross — the product of traditional plant breeding crosses between a domesticated tomato parent and a wild tomato parent. This type of wide cross can create a significantly increased hybrid offspring vigor, while diminishing seed germination percentage and seedling uniformity. To improve germination rate and uniformity, our tomato rootstock seeds are primed. While priming greatly improves seed performance, it can also substantially reduce seed shelf life. To achieve optimal germination rate of your 'Maxifort' seed and resulting seedling uniformity, we recommend considering the measures outlined in this tech sheet. Read More…
Video: How to Graft Greenhouse Tomatoes
This video is an oldie but a goodie, produced by the University of Vermont Extension. It covers key elements of top-grafting and side-grafting greenhouse tomatoes, as well as cultural considerations for grafted greenhouse tomato plants. Additional notes include grafting of cucumbers and eggplants. Watch…
Side-Grafting Starter Kit | Instruction Manual
Use these instructions as a preliminary guide to your Side-Grafting Starting Kit. The major advantage of side-grafting is that this method is more forgiving of differing stem diameters than top-grafting. While achieving a perfect match may not be necessary, the more equivalent the two stems to be grafted are, the better your chances of success. The key downside to side-grafting is the time required for an individual graft to be completed, and it also requires more materials than top-grafting. If you are going to be grafting a large number of plants, top grafting may be advantageous, unless you have a number of plants with stems that do not match well. Kit Contents: • Spare Blades for Miter-Cut Grafting Knife. • Chapin 48-oz Hand Sprayer. • (200) Spring-Loaded Side-Grafting Clips. • (5) Large Clear Propagation Domes. • (5) 72-Cell Plug Flats. • (90) 3½” Square Pots. • (5) Lightweight Mesh Trays. • (5) Shallow White Leakproof Trays. Read More…
Side-Grafting Tomatoes | Advantages, Materials, Technique | Tech Sheet (PDF)
The major advantage of side-grafting is that this method is more forgiving of differing stem diameters than top grafting. Read More…
Miter-Cut Grafting Knife (7172) | Johnny's Selected Seeds' Coloring Book
Just for fun — a line drawing of our Miter-Cut Grafting Knife (#7172), for you to color in, from Johnny's Selected Seeds' Coloring Book! Read More…
More Educational Resources
Manuals & Guides
- VegetableGrafting.org • Vegetable Grafting Manual
- Ohio State University Extension • Grafting Guide (3rd Ed., Bulletin 950)
- University of California at Davis • Guide to Cleft Grafting
YouTube Tutorial Videos from Kansas State Research & Extension Specialist Cary Rivard
Additional Grafting Video Demos