Refining tomatoes is not only reserved for professionals. With a little green thumb and a bit of skill, hobby gardeners can also graft their tomatoes.
Tomatoes, along with cucumbers, carrots and potatoes, are a very popular vegetable from your own garden. You can pick them straight from the bush and put them in your mouth, or use them in a variety of ways in the kitchen.
Whether it's a delicious tomato salad, the popular tomato soup or simply to nibble on at dinner - tomatoes taste great anytime and anywhere. If you don't have a lot of space in your garden for several plants, you have to choose varieties that bring a higher yield.
But if you have already found your favorite variety, you can also refine your tomatoes to increase the yield. The great advantage of grafting is that the roots become significantly stronger and more resistant to diseases and pests.
Which plant is suitable for grafting?
The roots of some popular tomato plants are very weak and therefore more susceptible to disease. Therefore, choose a plant that comes with strong roots as a base, such as the varieties Vogomax, Spirit or Estamino. You can choose any variety as a noble plant - it doesn't matter whether cherry, cocktail, beef or vine tomatoes. Top breeds such as F1 hybrids are recommended.
Refining tomatoes - this is how it works
Step 1: Sow the tomatoes
So that the graft works optimally, you should sow the rootstock about a week before the noble variety. After seven days you can then sow your desired precious plant.
» Find tips for planting tomatoes
As soon as the plants have reached a height of 10 centimetres, you can start with the actual grafting. Please note that the base is not thinner than the head drive. It doesn't matter the other way around.
Step 2: Cut the stems
WARNING
Do not touch the interfaces!
Now it's time to get down to business. For cutting you need a fine and sharp knife, which should be free of dirt and germs. Cut the plant (stocking) just below the firstbase of the leaf. Be very careful that the cut is horizontal. Only the stem of the plant may then remain. Do the same with the noble plant. Here, too, position the knife below the first base of the leaf.
Step 3: Pin plants together
Now all you have to do is stick the two plant pieces together. So that the whole thing holds up, special grafting clips form an optimal connection between the plants.
Step 4: Pot grafted plant
After you have put the plant parts on top of each other and secured them, you should plant the tomato plant in a pot or in the greenhouse. Water the plant sufficiently. The tomato plant must now be left alone for a week.
» Tip: If you don't have a greenhouse, you can put a plastic bag over the plant pot. In this way you increase the necessary humidity and keep it accordingly. (Attention: poke air holes in it) Cultivation bowls with hoods also serve the same purpose and can be used.
Step 5: Get the plant used to the current climate
Temperatures are often very high in the greenhouse and under the hood. In order for the tomato plant to slowly get used to the new climate, you should open the cover a little more every day after the end of the rest week. After about 5 days the plant will have gotten used to the ambient temperature.
Step 6: Plant outdoors
Now you can put your grafted tomato plant outside. It should be a sunny but not too hot spot. Don't forget to water the tomato plant regularly. You can now also remove the grafting clip, as both parts have grown together perfectly.
Refining tomatoes: video tutorial
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» Tip: If the plant is too tall, climbing aids offer the best possible support.