I guess I have to put my hand up and admit to being one of those sad buggers who likes looking through seed and plant catalogues and placing orders. I especially like looking at what's new and novel.
I mentioned a couple of days ago about the new flower sprout from T&M, which I'm definitely growing this year. There are other 'newbies' that I've ordered and am having a go with this year, but possibly the one that I'm looking foerward to the most is the new range of grafted vegetables from Suttons. I mentioned these when I went to their Press Day last year, but now I've actually got some coming to grow at home.
I've ordered the pepper 'Sweet Chelsea', aubergine 'Scorpio', chilli pepper 'Medina', melon 'Sweetheart' and the double grafted tomato for something really unusual. If you're interested and want to have a go, visit the Suttons website.
SEXIST TREE VALUATION ROCKS NATION
15 years ago
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I'm glad you mentioned grafted vegetables, because I can't get my head around what on earth you graft a tomato or pepper plant onto?
ReplyDeleteAnd having shelled out your £9.99 + p&p for 3 plants, do you get sufficient extra crops to justify the expense?
And are the tomato grafts just as vulnerable to blight, bearing in mind I've lost my (albeit outdoor crop, not having a greenhouse to hand) to blight 3 years in a row now.
As you can see, I've been giving these quite a bit of thought!
Hi VP
ReplyDeleteJust like fruit, the vegetables are grafted onto rootstocks of the same species/related species that have been bred to provide specific characteristics.
For the vegetables these characteristics include healthier, more robust plants with greater pest & disease resistance (the plants aren't blight resistant as such, but are more vigorous and should grow through the disease), larger yields (up to 15-20%; the rootstocks put more of the plants' energy into fruit production and less into overall growth) produced earlier and later, less susceptibility to nutritional disorders and less susceptible to poor weather/cooler conditions.
Around 60% of all commercial tomato crops are produced on grafted plants, as is most aubergine production and the majority of organic peppers and cucumbers. So, if they're good enough for the professionals - they should be good enough for us!
Hope that helps - and stops the brain ache!
Thanks Geoff, it's a shame they don't explain that in the catalogues!
ReplyDeletePS I've been thinking about writing a post on this for a while now, especially as it's a relatively new option available to gardeners - I think last year (or the year before) was maybe the first year they were in the catalogues?
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see if anyone has tried them and what results they had.
Do you mind if I quote our conversation on here?
Hi VP
ReplyDeleteI'm also interested in what people have to say. I grew them last year and they did produce better results and were more able to grow through blight, but I want to try them properly this year.
I've got no problems with you quoting the conversation - but I'd also like to hear/see/read comments.
No problem with you seeing the conversation - I think you're still following, so it'll come through to you automatically when you sign on to Blogger, though I can also send you the link.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested by what you mean by trying them out properly - more varieties, grafted vs non-grafted of the same variety, or something else?
VP
ReplyDeleteCool. It'll be good to see how other gardeners are getting on with their grafts. It would also be useful to know if anyone is doing their own tomato grafting. You can buy the rootstocks, and back in the 70s loads of gardeners used to graft their own. So, who's DIY grafting?
Yes, I am a follower of the great VP!
By properly, I mean trying against other non-grafted plants and doing some low-key testing/observing - maybe even fruit weighing. Woh, let's not get carried away now.
VP
ReplyDeleteOops, forgot to ask - when are you planning on putting it up on your blog?
Hi! Exactly just how far can you cross-graft? Can a mango stalk ever grow on another tree's trunk if grafted in? That'll be exciting to do if possible.
ReplyDeleteHi Geoff - just popped in to get links etc for my post. I'm writing it now ready to schedule for Tuesday am. I've found some interesting stuff whilst doing my research :)
ReplyDeleteChris
ReplyDeleteCross-grafting generally doesn't work. You need to graft onto the same species or a closely-related species - usually in the same family/genus. But give it a go and let me know how you grt on.
Geoff