The hottest trend in vegetable gardening these days is actually an old-time favorite: heirloom tomatoes. This revived interest stems from the search for the standout flavor from days of old. But as even the most seasoned gardeners know, it can be challenging to produce a modest harvest of a traditional variety.
Bumper Crop Grafted Tomatoes (left) yield up to 50% more than standard heirlooms
That’s where Grafting comes in. This natural method is an ancient technique dating back some 7,000 years to China. Often grafting is associated with roses and with apple and other fruit trees. In the world of tomatoes, grafting allows the benefits of a hybrid tomato – high yields, disease resistance, tolerance to weather stress like hot and cold – while maintaining the true essence of the delicious homegrown fruit.
Here’s the back story on grafted tomatoes:
1. Skilled technicians hand cut heirloom top scions (the fruiting portion) and strong hybrid rootstocks (the underground rooting portion).
2. A special grafting clip is used to join the scion and the rootstock.
3. Grafted plants are nurtured until fully fused.
4. In just a few weeks, garden-ready grafted tomato plants are ready to make their way into your garden.
Bumper Crop Grafted Tomatoes from Burpee Home Gardens deliver yields of 50% more fruit than standard heirlooms. What’s more, they come from Burpee, the most trusted name in home gardening.
“Grafted tomatoes provide a kind of insurance policy against soil-borne disease and stresses. They might cost a little more, but you’ll get higher yields from a combination of disease resistance and the vigor that the strong rootstock provides,” states Scott Mozingo, Product Manager for Burpee Home Gardens.
Grafted tomatoes require only a few special planting instructions. Make sure the grafting scar is at least 1 inch above the soil at planting; burying the graft negates the benefits. Provide extra support like a trellis or cage. Because of their vigorous growth, grafted tomatoes are not recommended for containers. Besides that, care is as straightforward as a regular tomato: sunny location, moist soil and regular fertilizing are all that are needed to produce superior yields.
Additional details on Bumper Crop grafted tomatoes and the full lineup of Burpee Home Gardens vegetables, herbs and flowers are available at burpeehomegardens.com.
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